Evolution

A response to The Rise of “AWESOME” by Robert Lane Greene

Central argument: evolution of English words: awesome.

In The Rise of “AWESOME” by Robert Lane Greene, the central argument was the evolution of the word ‘awesome.’ This word changed over time from being used to describe God in the Bible into something good or great; according to Greene. Evolution is happening in everyday life, as time moves forward things are continuously changing without everyone noticing those changes. Along with ‘awesome,’ words like ‘gay’ and ‘dam you’ also has been redefined over the period of time. The importance of religion and gender roles is now so different when comparing them to the history of our human existence.    

From time to time, ‘awesome’ is not the only word that has been redefined. Words like ‘gay’ and ‘dam you’ now have a totally different meanings and usage then of the time when they were originated. ‘Gay’ once meant happiness. So if people looking into old literature like Shakespearian plays, a phrase like ‘I am gay’ would obviously mean ‘I am happy.’ However if the same phrase is used in the modern time, it would mean ‘I am a homosexual.’ Another word mentioned is ‘dam you.’ People nowadays use ‘dam’ or ‘dam you’ to express their disappointment in things that could have gone differently. The same word used in the past, it would be very offensive and meant ‘to go to hell.’ Basically, by saying dam you would be the same as telling someone to go to hell. However, if it is used by a teenage in this era, no one would really care about it. So if people from the past were to travel through time to the modern era and say, ‘I am so gay’ or ‘dam you people,’ it would mean ‘I am a homosexual’ and ‘I am annoyed with people.’  

Another thing that is constantly changing over times seems to be the importance of religion. Before, in the past, Christians for examples are known to go to church every Sunday. Confession is supposed to be done weekly, and Bible is expected to be read. However, Christians now are not as active. People who claims that believe in Christianity don’t even know one verse of the Bible, don’t go to Churches every Sundays, and have never done confession in their entire life. Most people are Christians by birth but they do not have beliefs in it. This would prove how people don’t really care about religion anymore like how people from the past or even our grandparents are. Religion is just there and we don’t necessary need it.

Gender roles seems to be changing a lot and most dramatically over time. Before, women are supposed to be at home taking care of household chores and kids. As the head of the family, men are to go to work and bring money to the family. However, as seen, women go to work. Some are even at the higher position then men. More and more women are participating in the politics where this would be considered unusual and not accepted in the past. Even now some men stay at home and do the house chores; house husband. Equality between the two genders, if it was a balance scale, is slowly moving towards a balanced, untilled to either side.

Everything seems to be changing over time. Not just words, religion, and gender roles, but almost everything in life. If we are to look back at the past, we would be laughing at most of the things that are no longer in practice (ex: dressing style.) However, I am sure that when our younger generations look at our past history, we will also be laughed at. This is because time will never stop as well as evolution.