power-of-words-only-some-understand Internet Slang

Internet Slang

The Power of Words That Only Some Understand

About this topic

This question considers the special power of words that 'only some understand'—so-called internet slang like 'わかりみ', 'それな', '草'. These words do not merely transmit information; they create a powerful sense of closeness and solidarity between speaker and listener: 'We are in the same world.' At the same time, they have a dual nature—they become walls and create alienation for those who do not understand.

Conceptual positions
01 Solidarity Strengthening Theory

Words that 'only some understand' dramatically strengthen bonds within a community. Online, they give a sense of 'being in the same world' beyond physical distance and create strong belonging.

02 Exclusion Device Theory

The same words also function as devices that confirm internal superiority by placing those who do not understand on the 'outside'. Behind intimacy lies unintended exclusion.

03 Identity Signaling Theory

Using slang is a silent declaration: 'I belong to this community.' Words function not as information but as certificates of belonging.

04 Shortest Path to Empathy Theory

The power of 'wakarimi' words is that they allow sharing complex emotions in a single word. They are emotional shortcuts where 'we're the same' is established with one word rather than long explanations.

Talk entry points

  1. When someone says 'それな' to you, what do you feel?

  2. What kind of feeling do you get when you hear slang you don't know?

  3. Why do you deliberately use words that 'only some understand'?

  4. Can you recall a moment when you felt 'we're the same' through slang?

  5. What do you think when you see someone using words you don't understand?

  6. What word or event made you feel 'wakarimi' the most strongly?

Conceptual tensions
Intimacy vsWall
The same words create intimacy and simultaneously become walls for those who do not understand. How do we accept this dual nature?
Signal vsInformation
Slang conveys 'belonging' more than information. How do we think about the primary function of words being signaling?
Empathy vsUnderstanding
Does 'understanding' mean empathy or logical comprehension? Internet slang often enables sharing of emotions beyond logic.
Inside vsOutside
Words create an inside, which in turn creates an outside. How do we handle the comfort of being inside and the pain of being outside?
Natural vsDeliberate
Is slang born naturally or created deliberately? It has both aspects, and its power comes from that.
Talk note

This theme is for carefully handling the 'dual nature of intimacy and exclusion' that internet slang possesses. It is a quiet space for dialogue that neither blames linguistic barriers nor shuts itself inside the wall, but searches for the shared humanity on the other side of the wall.

Glossary
Wakarimi (Shared Understanding)
Internet slang meaning 'only those who understand, understand'. A word that presupposes empathy or shared experience with the other person and creates strong closeness.
Insider Language
Words and expressions that only work within a specific group. Much internet slang has the nature of insider language.
Solidarity
A sense of unity—'we are on the same side'—born from the feeling of understanding and sharing the same words.
Logic of Exclusion
A mechanism that strengthens internal bonds by placing those who cannot understand certain words on the 'outside'.
Tacit Knowledge
Knowledge or sensibility that is shared without being put into words. Much internet slang is built upon tacit knowledge.
Signaling
The act of unconsciously signaling 'I am a member of this community' through word choice.
Talk prompts
Ice breaker

Talk about a specific episode of how you felt when someone said 'それな' to you.

Deep dive

If everyone in the world could understand all slang, how do you think the 'power' of words would change?

Bridge

While listening to the 'wakarimi' words the other person uses, quietly imagine: 'What is the other person trying to convey with these words?'

Further questions
  • The reality of 'invisible boundaries' created by slang
  • Psychological defense mechanisms when facing unknown words
  • How 'wakarimi' works in multicultural and multilingual environments
  • Are 'wakarimi' words generated by AI genuine?
  • The meaning of trying to 'translate' slang
  • How to convey words that 'only some understand' to those who do not understand them