We are the witnesses of a barely perceptible transformation in ordinary language: verbs which formerly expressed satisfying actions have been replaced by nouns which name packages designed for passive consumption only -- 'to learn' becomes 'to accumulate credits'.

Ivan Illich
About This Quote

'To learn' has been replaced with 'to accumulate credits'. The above quote from the book 'The Language Instinct' by Steven Pinker is a brilliant observation on how language is evolving to reflect the ever-changing world in which we live. In fact, the above quote was written almost 20 years ago. In recent times, we have seen a dramatic transformation in the way we talk and write.

Take for instance the words 'learn' and 'accumulate'. In the past, learning meant acquiring knowledge and understanding something. Nowadays, learning means accumulating points, points which you can use to purchase items in a virtual marketplace called a 'store'.

Source: The Right To Useful Unemployment And Its Professional Enemies

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