21 years ago this month, I was on paternity leave. I was also on my first detox.
A friend then told me that “detoxing is pointless. Your body has a perfectly good way of removing toxins: a liver”.
This argument is wrong for two reasons. The one I’m most interested in here is that words change1.
When scientists use the word “toxin”2 it has a very precise, specific meaning3. This is as it should be.
It would be nice4, you’d think, if the average5 person could stick to this meaning. But that’s not how words work.
Have you ever heard of a liver curing a toxic relationship?
All words are metaphors (I’ll explain why in a later post). Meanings change over time. Anyone who thinks otherwise is an ass6.
If, like me, you are detoxing this January by cutting down on alcohol and junk food, getting outdoors more, staring at screens less, and perhaps avoiding toxic friends, I wish you luck7!
[The title and subtitle of this email are, like last week’s, taken from TS Eliot’s Four Quartets]
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Dan 🗿 Peakrill Press 🍄 Mycoleum
The other reason is that scientific evidence supports plenty of types of detoxing. If you are alcoholic (and let’s face it, most or us are) you can even get a detox on the NHS.
The word “toxin” comes from the Greek word for bow and arrows.
The word “nice” means “stupid”. Or at least it used to.
And “average” once meant “damaged”.
Not literally a donkey.
But steer well clear of any products with “detox” on the box; you don’t need them and most are snake oil.