1. Introduction. Everyday I wake up in South Africa to the sounds and sights of all kinds of linguistic contradictions, misnomers and out-of-place euphemisms, e.g.:
- 'Full Potential'. There is no such thing as 'full potential'; the word 'potential' already implies 'full capacity'. A better expression would be 'true potential'.
- 'Skills Transfer'. If 'skills' could really be transferred, I'd be playing golf like Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, transplant hearts like Chris Barnard or Elizabeth Taylor, sing like Matt Monro or Robert Goulet and play the piano like Arthur Rubinstein or Roger Williams.
Data, information, knowledge and even wisdom* can be transferred, but experience (the Siamese twin of 'skills') and skills cannot. At best governments, big business, employers, parents, educators, teachers and trainers can (and should) create the environment, conditions, infrastructure and resources for industry and career appropriate skills to be developed and honed to either perfection (best case scenario) or, at least, to functionality (worst case scenario).
*Job28;28; Psalm16:7; 19:7; 51:6; 90:12; 105:22; 111:10; 119:169; Proverbs1:2, 5,7; 2:10; 3:13; 4:5; 9:10; 13:20; 29:15 etc.
2. 'Challenge' or 'Problem'? Politicians, educators and teachers would do well to phase out the ugly habit of referring to 'problems' as 'challenges'; I am convinced that these infantile euphemisms are the reason so few problems are solved (and solved so slowly for lack of urgency) today. Let's face it, there is a heck of a difference between a 'challenge' and a 'problem'. For instance:
2.1 Sports. Registering for the 'Comrades Marathon' (South Africa, over 90kms) with the eye on finishing in the allotted time to be awarded with a medal (either bronze, silver or gold) would constitute a challenge; not preparing properly for the marathon or developing cramps at the steep Polly Shortts hill would be a problem.
2.2 Science. Teaching* 'Evolution' at varsity level would constitute a challenge; proving Evolution empirically by trying to introduce unverifiable and unfalsifiable (so-called) 'evidence for Evolution' remains a vexing problem for evolutionists.
P.S. Read the story of Walter Veith, erstwhile professor of Zoology (University of Cape Town) who taught Evolution at varsity level for many years and who is now a Christian apologist and creationist.
"Walter Julius Veith (born 1949) is a South African zoologist and a Seventh-day Adventist author and speaker known for his work in nutrition, creationism and Biblical eisegesis. Veith was professor of the zoology department at the University of Cape Town and taught in the medical bioscience department. During this time, the department was awarded a Royal Society London grant for zoological research.[1]" [Wikipedia].
2.3 Marriage. Finding a good husband/wife would constitute a challenge; living with the wrong choice of a husband/wife after discovering that he/she is a chronic gambling addict would be a problem.
2.4 Politics. Winning the next election would constitute a challenge; not delivering to the electorate on earlier electioneering promises would be a problem.
2.5 Economics. Buying a reliable (second-hand, pre-used or previously-loved) car would constitute a challenge; having to go on vacation with a vibrating, wobbly and misaligned crankshaft after the dealer had gone bankrupt the week before would be a problem.
2.6 Arts & Crafts. To purchase the right wool and download a pattern from the Internet to crochet a pretty little baby-suit for a newborn baby in time for Sunday would constitute a challenge; discovering too late that the downloaded patterns (downloaded by your Internet savvy nephew) are all in French would be a problem.
3. Final Challenge (or Problem?). To get the adult-class to use the word 'problem' (for problems!) in lieu of out-of-place euphemism (or misnomer) of 'challenge' (for problems!) would constitute a challenge; discovering that members of the envisaged target-market didn't get the memo on time ... that would be a problem.
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