# Every Important Word Works Like a Small Program by Bryant McGill > “Every important word works like a small program. Groups write methods and properties into terms like listening, humility, loyalty, and professionalism, so the working meaning can differ sharply from the dictionary meaning. Examining the vernacular use of a word reveals who benefits from it.” > **— Bryant McGill**, *Awareness Is Power When You Learn to Hold Your Ground - Livestream (Mar 2016)* ## Sources and Context - **Source:** [[livestreams/Awareness Is Power When You Learn to Hold Your Ground - Livestream|Awareness Is Power When You Learn to Hold Your Ground - Livestream]] — exact quotation from the developed livestream document. - **Conceptual context:** A term brings a history of distinctions and assumptions into thought. Repeated frames can make some interpretations immediately available while making others difficult to articulate or even notice. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/Analog Cognition and the Architecture of Continuity|Analog Cognition and the Architecture of Continuity]] - **Article:** [[articles/Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems|Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems]] - **Livestream:** [[livestreams/Awareness Is Power When You Learn to Hold Your Ground - Livestream|Awareness Is Power When You Learn to Hold Your Ground - Livestream]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Semantic Framing|Semantic Framing]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Every important word works like a small program. Groups write methods and properties into terms like listening, humility, loyalty, and professionalism, so the working meaning can differ sharply from the dictionary meaning. Examining the vernacular use of a word reveals who benefits from it.” — Bryant McGill, Awareness Is Power When You Learn to Hold Your Ground - Livestream (Mar 2016) https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-bryant-mcgill-important-words-small-programs ```