Hiraeth

Hiraeth (pronounced here) is one of the most important words I've ever come across. I discovered it recently in reference to the Brexit referendum here and I felt I needed to talk about it.

See, we all experience hiraeth. We all call back to times when things were better because we all have low points in which we wish things weren't the way they are. We pine for justice, for love, for hope, for so many other things. Hiraeth is what drives us, and that notion that things were better and can be again is an extraordinarily powerful one.

But like all things, hiraeth is also dangerous. Because the past it calls back to (in most cases) never really was, it can be, and has been, abused by many. From Nigel Farage of UKIP to Donald Trump, we've seen leaders use the notion of a better past to drive us towards regressive policies, centralization of power, and the allure of a strongman-in-charge. Yes, there are many things that need fixing today. The global balance of trade has helped, and harmed, many, and I don't pretend to have answers there. I only know hiraeth is not one.

Remember hiraeth when they speak or when any of us speak, and ask yourself what power those words are intended to carry.