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The Trust Destroying Language of Coronavirus
The “language” of Coronavirus instills fear and diminishes trust.
While fear is often used as a tool to gain short-term compliance, it comes with a steep price tag, the loss of trust. Take a closer look at this recently published Gallup chart. Are you surprised?
The following is a list of frequently used fear-inducing COVID19 media terms. How many of these can be accurately defined by the writer, let alone their readers or listeners? And how would you describe your reaction? Anxious, scared, fearful?
- Cases and “numbers” exploding
- Hospital strain
- Unprecedented surge
- Running rampant
- Whopping
- Stay-at-home orders
- Shutdowns
- Lockdowns
- Alarmingly high
- Overwhelming
These obtuse and half-baked terms are no different than the food industry calling its products “all natural,” a meaningless marketing label at best. Without a common vocabulary and precise definitions, the present COVID19 language trumpeted by the media is intentionally designed and delivered to produce two outcomes:
- Instill fear
- Destroy trust
What happens when fear dominates?
The brain releases hormones including cortisol and catecholamine, and shuts down certain executive…
