Summary: Take a look this week at two very similar words that share the same root word to incorporate wholeness—by usage and by definition. Then see how well you can incorporate them—into your vocabulary and into your life—today.
I heard a word on the radio today that caught my attention and caused me to drift off into word-land (my own little world), pondering its similarity to another word that's a favorite of mine. Then, of course, I used my most-trusted online dictionary, Merriam-Webster.com, to look them both up and learn a little more. Now I want to share that knowledge with you.
First, let's look at the root word they both share: integer, Latin for whole. Mathematically, you may already know, an integer is a non-fraction number. Something that's untouched, or undivided, is an integer. And something that's an integral piece to a greater whole is that which cannot be taken from the main without disintegrating it. ... Are you seeing a pattern yet?
This week's words are:
Integrate (IN - teh - GRAYT)—a verb meaning to combine parts in order to make them into a whole—and integrity (in - TEH - greh - TEE), which is a noun that means uncorrupted virtue, perfect condition, and wholeness, often in the individual.
Last week, we began exploring ways we can personally integrate the virtue of integrity (honesty, true morality) into ourselves and our lives completely. Exploring your feelings—and truly being honest with yourself about what they are, even if the honest answer is, "I don't know what I'm feeling"—is the perfect place to start the integration of inner integrity. The more you practice such self-honesty, the more aware you allow yourself to become, so that you can be truly incorruptible. Eventually, you may even become able to admit, "I'm feeling overwhelmed," until finally, you're able to separate and name the various feelings that contribute to your being overwhelmed: "I feel sad and embarassed and guilty; ultimately, I feel overwhelmed."
The more personal integrity you can demonstrate when you review your emotions, the better you can integrate them to become whole and happy again. Remember: Integrating some personal, emotional integrity is the fastest cure for alexithymia.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Showing posts with label alexithymia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alexithymia. Show all posts
Jan 25, 2010
Jan 18, 2010
WORD OF THE WEEK: Alexithymia
Summary: This week's word is relatively new, but is becoming more and more popular among certain circles. Although I love learning new words, the increased usage of this one—alexithymia—isn't necessarily a good thing: Alexithymia is the opposite of emotional intelligence, or speaking your personal truth. Its popularity means you and I are more and more often unable to say what we mean.
Don't try looking up this week's word in your desktop dictionary: It probably isn't there. Alexithymia (ah -LEX - eh - THY - MEE - ya) is only 30-some years old, very young in word years. Of course, far newer words and phrases are adopted into contemporary dictionaries every day, but only after the majority of the culture begins to regularly use them. Alexithymia has a little way to go on this front. However, medical dictionaries (do you have one on your shelf?) note the word's select popularity right up front.
Credited for introduction in 1972 by Dr. Peter Sifneos, M.D., the word means "an inability to articulate feelings," particularly in regard to emotions. It's a combination of the ancient Greek words a (without, lacking), lexis (word or diction), and thymos (emotions).
An interesting point to note here is that thymos also means spirited—and is thought to pertain to concepts that the brain's thymus deals with, like emotions.
Modern-day therapists and psychiatrists refer to their patients as alexithymic when, for example, they are obviously worked up, but can't explain what's going on in their lives to contribute to their upset state. But, of course, you don't have to be seeing a specialist to experience this all-too-common condition.
Do YOU know what you're feeling right NOW? If not, you may try journaling exercises to help you practice recognizing your feelings and speaking them 'out loud' (or on paper). Or you may visit this site on emotional literacy that just so happens to contain an excellent list of emotional/feeling words. Don't be alexithymic anymore! Speak your truth today.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Don't try looking up this week's word in your desktop dictionary: It probably isn't there. Alexithymia (ah -LEX - eh - THY - MEE - ya) is only 30-some years old, very young in word years. Of course, far newer words and phrases are adopted into contemporary dictionaries every day, but only after the majority of the culture begins to regularly use them. Alexithymia has a little way to go on this front. However, medical dictionaries (do you have one on your shelf?) note the word's select popularity right up front.
Credited for introduction in 1972 by Dr. Peter Sifneos, M.D., the word means "an inability to articulate feelings," particularly in regard to emotions. It's a combination of the ancient Greek words a (without, lacking), lexis (word or diction), and thymos (emotions).
An interesting point to note here is that thymos also means spirited—and is thought to pertain to concepts that the brain's thymus deals with, like emotions.
Modern-day therapists and psychiatrists refer to their patients as alexithymic when, for example, they are obviously worked up, but can't explain what's going on in their lives to contribute to their upset state. But, of course, you don't have to be seeing a specialist to experience this all-too-common condition.
Do YOU know what you're feeling right NOW? If not, you may try journaling exercises to help you practice recognizing your feelings and speaking them 'out loud' (or on paper). Or you may visit this site on emotional literacy that just so happens to contain an excellent list of emotional/feeling words. Don't be alexithymic anymore! Speak your truth today.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
