Zeitgeist

Lets talk about a word. Zeitgeist. Once upon a time I had no idea what this word meant or where the hell it came from. I can remember the first time I consciously heard it. I say “consciously” because we all know that we probably hear new words a lot, but there is usually a moment you register its presence and ask yourself what the hell it means. 

Zeitgeist comes from a few German words: Zeit = time. Geist = spirit. Simple enough. Unfortunately, I think there is value in having a word with this meaning. I just don’t think it should look or sound like this. Its German origin is not the reason for my saltiness. It seems that there are very specific instances where this word should be used, and even then its not great. Bad academic papers, political speeches, funerals, benedictions, crazy sideline interviews, boring documentaries, and other forums of that nature might be the right home for zeitgeist users. It is not a casual word to throw around for one simple reason: you are trying to sound smarter than everyone around you. 

It was in an English class during my senior year of college. I was spacing out listening to a fellow classmate answer a boring question. He was definitely trying to sound smart, and as I was already beginning to form this opinion he spouted something like this, “According to the zeitgeist of that time I firmly believe the author was following the voice of the people.” Shut the hell up. I was shocked. The worst part? The professor loved it. I was very close to asking what the word meant, but I hadn’t worked out my insecurities yet.

Be an athlete. Don’t be something that you aren't. We can see right through it. Here are some more reasons why zeitgeist sucks.

Apparently there’s a three episode documentary movie series titled “Zeitgeist”. It is directed by Peter Joseph (who?) who presents and analyzes several conspiracy theories. It seems to include segments on 9/11, Christianity as a whole, George Carlin stand up, and income tax.

Although, this place in Duluth, Minnesota sounds like they are doing the word a favor. Their webste self describes, “The Zeitgeist Arts building is a hub for film, food, art, and community in downtown Duluth. We are your home movie theater, performance theater, art gallery and restaurant & bar. We thrive on connecting creatives and community members.” That sounds nice.

Zeitgeist was the word of the day for The New York Times back in 2021. They even told a little story about Ugg shoes as a way to explain the word. Lame.

Sometimes I don’t love being a hater, but this is not one of those times. If you think about it for 30 seconds after reading, you will realize what I have. Try using the word #zeitgeist and not sound like an asshole.

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