Today's word is...Mamaloshen

Mamaloshen is a Yiddish word (literally, "Mother Tongue") that describes the understanding that comes when one's common sense derives as much from the "soul" as the mind.


This is a beautiful word...one that I learned today in reading Norman Lear's blog post at the "On Faith" series for The Washington Post.


For an atheist like myself, I do not find the use of the word "soul" untoward.  Agreeing as I do with Dennett's consciousness thesis in his "multiple drafts model," "soul" to me is who a person is; I am the serial narrative that is myself.


Returning to mamaloshen, then, one can see the meaning it conveys to a secularist:  understanding that jives with both logic, and experience.


Extrapolating further, we can conclude that it is in everyone's best interest that all our fellow beings have as rich a life experience as possible.  Opening experience means opening understanding.


Those who are closed to others...that turn away...that return a smile with a frown or an extended hand with a fist...those people have closed their minds.  It is in our interest, and theirs, to help open their lives...to experience and understanding.