hypernormalization · noun — the state or quality of being hypernormalized.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Why “hypernormalization” is a great word
Hypernormalization is a societal condition in which a patently artificial, simplified, or dysfunctional reality is accepted as normal, despite its evident contradictions. From hypernormalize (hyper-, meaning 'over, beyond' + normalize, meaning 'to make normal') + -ation (suffix forming nouns of action); coined in 2005/2006 by anthropologist Alexei Yurchak. Unlike 'normalization' (which merely makes something standard) or 'cognitive dissonance' (which describes an individual's psychological tension), hypernormalization is the collective, weary acquiescence to a manufactured unreality. It is the polished emptiness of a politician's scripted speech, the curated rage of a social media feed, and the serene feeling of shopping in a gleaming mall while the world smolders outside—the quiet triumph of a comfortable lie over an unbearable truth.
❧ Written by Lexicurio’s AI
Etymology
From hypernormalize + -ation.
noun
- The state or quality of being hypernormalized.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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