Language holds an enormous amount of power over you. Your vocabulary determines your ability to communicate and express ideas. Vocabulary is a constraint on the mind; it is a reflection on how you think. The average adult knows 20,000 words, by expanding this you open yourself up to new ways of thinking.
An expanded lexicon will help you to navigate the world. The ability to define something will help you to understand it. Increasing your understanding of concepts will help you to see patterns and opportunities.
Recently I came across the akrasia. It is a term from ancient Greece that means “the state of mind when someone acts against their better judgement through weakness of will”. When I came across the word I thought of examples when I’ve suffered from akrasia — from an afternoon spent binging on Netflix to an evening where I over indulged in whiskey. We all struggle from weakness from will, but English doesn’t have a term to define it.
This new word has opened my eyes to a concept. Now that I’m aware of akrasia I can work towards preventing it.