Why “atsit” is a great word
ATSIT — [Verb] To remain seated or to sit against something; to abide, withstand, or disobey. From Middle English atsitten, from Old English ætsittan ("to sit by, remain, stay, wait"), formed from the prefix at- (denoting proximity or position) and the verb sit, a descendant of the Proto-Indo-European root *sed- ("to sit"). Unlike "remain," a general term for staying in place, or "resist," which implies active opposition, to atsit is to hold one's ground from a seated posture, a stubborn persistence of presence. It is the child planted on the floor in refusal; the dissident seated on the courthouse steps as the crowd disperses; the ancient oak rooted, a silent rebuke to the storm. At its core, it is the quiet, grounded art of being present against the pull of the world.