The Word Of The Year is....what??

Every year the Oxford University Press produces a list of half a dozen words that best represent the mood and sentiment of the past year. After surveying over 37,000 people, numerous debates and discussions, they declared that ‘brain rot’is the definitive Word of 2024.

Other words in their shortlist were demure, dynamic pricing, lore, romantasy, and slop.  

Yeah...I know.   

Not to be out done, the Merriam-Webster’s 2024 Word of the Year is 'polarization' [2] and the Collins' Word of the Year 2024 is 'Brat' [3].  

Go figure.   

Interestingly, ‘Brain rot’ is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also it can be something characterised as likely to lead to such deterioration”. [1]

Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden has the earliest recorded use of the term 'brain rot', referencing that people were not valuing complex ideas and preferred simple thinking that wasn't too challenging or taxing on the mind.  

We know that the brain is like a muscle that, if not used, pushed or challenged can become lazy and lose some of its sharpness. 'New research shows that the brain is more like a muscle – it changes and gets stronger when you use it. Scientists have been able to show how the brain grows and gets stronger when you learn. Everyone knows that when you lift weights, your muscles get bigger and you get stronger.'[4]

You develop a high-performance capacity when you are consistently exposed to challenges and pressures that allow you to grow.  Achieving high-performance isn't done by removing all the obstacles in your way, but rather by learning how to navigate and overcome them with greater grace and efficiency.  

Resilience doesn't flourish when you stay within your comfort zone and avoid difficulties.  

The true risk of excessive comfort and lack of challenge is that you stagnate.  You stop pushing as far, you stop trying as hard, you stop wanting as much and you stop aiming as high.

In 2025, go and chase something difficult.  Continue to challenge yourself and lean into the difficult stuff.  When you set your New Year's aspirations, let them stretch you a bit more.  When life throws you more problems, don't run from them.   Your brain will love you for it.  

At the end of 2025, what would you like your word to be?  What word would you like to best reflect the year you just lived?  

I reckon you can do better than 'Brain Rot'.   

"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.” - Jim Rohn