Improper or inaccurate naming has serious consequences for individuals and/or communities depending on what is being named. Therefore, caution is required for how we name things, especially if the naming involves behavior/ideas of social/political importance.

Consider how important naming is, especially naming things of concern to the general citizenship. It is interesting that the first task of Adam is that of naming the animals. The importance of naming is found in the fact that it determines how we talk about things that matter, how we treat what bears the name. For example, if we name an autistic child stupid, we can immediately see the damaging power that naming has for the child and his treatment. That illustrates the power of naming. Consequently, improper or inaccurate naming has serious consequences for individuals and/or communities depending on what is being named. Therefore, caution is required for how we name things, especially if the naming involves behavior/ideas of social/political importance. That means, when we name something, it is important to get it right so as to promote clarity in debate, to avoid harmful consequences to humanity, and to ensure social order. When others name something we must make sure they have gotten it right before we agree or disagree to the claim. If the naming is done by placing it in an existing category, then wisdom requires investigation to determine if in fact it is the right category. For example, naming something as a cause when in fact it is an effect subverts all discussion that follows. Therefore, it is imperative for the wise citizen (the citizen with intellectual honesty) to ask critical questions of the naming process to ensure the integrity and profit of public debate. Otherwise, proper solutions will evade us, or time will be wasted on the wrong point if misnaming is involved. In other words, it is wise to determine from the beginning if the naming is based on demonstrable facts or if it is the entailment of an ideological dream masked as something true to life. This is especially important in our current cultural social/political turmoil. For example, it makes a difference if an act is named as police brutality or racism. Another example: it makes a difference if we name it election fraud or election irregularities. It requires little imagination to see the difference this makes in how the matter is discussed and the importance placed upon it. In both cases, the truth value of the first naming can be ascertained by a rational examination of the facts. The second naming entails assigning a motive which is always a risky business for mortals. The two should not be confused as they have been by mindless chatter on social media and/or reporting by talking heads of the news media that often looks more like creating narratives than even-handed reporting.

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