1. My take
An authoritarian mindset shows its hand when it insists that words have objective definitions.
They also tend to favor fewer rather than more definitions; ideally just one (eg.”woman”).
Authoritarians such as this braindead moron can be overheard asking, “But what IS the definition of woman?”, as if any word had only one definition.
2. Chomsky
“What we call definitions are not definitions … they’re just hints that a person who already knows the concept can use to understand what’s really going on”
– Noam Chomsky
3. Adorno
10 (additional) signs of an authoritarian according to “The Authoritarian Personality” (Adorno):
- Conventionalism: a strong adherence to traditional values and norms, and a resistance to change.
- Authoritarian submission: a tendency to submit to the authority of established leaders and institutions.
- Authoritarian aggression: a tendency to be hostile and aggressive towards those who do not conform to established norms and values.
- Anti-Semitism: a predisposition to harbor negative attitudes towards Jews.
- Power and “toughness”: a preoccupation with the exercise of power and a belief in the use of force to solve problems.
- Superstition and stereotypy: a belief in mysterious powers and a tendency to stereotype and oversimplify people and situations.
- Projectivity: a tendency to attribute one’s own unconscious impulses and characteristics to others.
- Sex: Exaggerated concern with sexual goings-on which is either wholly repressed or entirely represented in the symbolical, “romantic” forms.
- Destructiveness and cynicism: a general attitude of cynicism and a belief in the inherent destructiveness of man.
- Social distance: a desire for social distance from various minority groups.
4. Linguistics
Linguistic prescriptivists: these individuals believe that language should be used in a specific, standardized way and that there is a “correct” way to use words and grammar.