And therein lies an essential lesson of linguistic context: Popular perception can overwhelm truth and accuracy in establishing a communication connection. Or, in plain English, it’s not what you say, it’s what people hear that matters. Moreover, words that had certain definitions when your grandparents were your age may have an entirely different

On the left and the right, people are losing trust in their institutions. It’s this loss of trust, both in our institutions and in our ability to change our societies, that should worry us more than the rise of any specific leader or movement.

For better and for worse, shifts in journalism, education, and communications have helped create a population that is more skeptical, more engaged, less credulous, and less trusting.