Introducing "Thought Showers"

I'm pleased to introduce the term "thought shower," created in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to replace the potentially offensive expression "brainstorming."

According to Henry McDonald, Ireland editor of The Observer, the staff at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, in Belfast, found the word "brainstorming" potentially offensive to people with brain disorders. To indicate the creative generation of ideas, they prefer "thought showers."

Whatever your view of this low-level language controversy, when communicating with friends in Belfast, take a quick "thought shower" to think up alternative words before attempting to brainstorm with them.

Comments

[Ksawery]

that is BS, "brainstorming" is not offensive, this is an urban myth.

there is no scientific evidence, that the term is offensive.

[Mr]

Brainstorm or Thought Showers?

Dear All,
I have suffered uncontrolled partial epilepsy for almost forty years now and am a member of the British Epilepsy Association. Changing the wording mentioned, has been seen by us as offensive in itself!  Please read my recent posting on the Epilepsy forum website.
            The subject of changing the term ”Brainstorm” is not new.: “Thought Showers” have been mentioned before. When I initially saw the article in Epilepsy Today I truly thought it was a ‘wind-up’- (a joke)! It was a shock to find it wasn’t, and after seeing some of the responses on the forum I assumed, naively, that the idea had been dropped. That was until recently, when my neighbour told me he had only seen a story about it the day before!
            Does anyone actually know who originally came up with the idea, which can only waste a lot of time and money, spent better elsewhere? It is in my opinion an insult to those of us who suffer epilepsy, the very people it is said to be being changed for. Also, how on earth can you eliminate a word completely out of our language?
            Brainstorm and Brainstorming are just well recognised and used words that could theoretically be used out of context because they have more than one meaning. So what will be next? Maybe ‘heartthrob’ or ‘gutless’ and let us not forget all those words involving colour, like: Blacklist and whitewash.
            I would like to hear from the very person who initially decided that this change was necessary, but I suspect no single said person exists. I also think that the idea was probably put forward by legal bureaucrats having a brainstorm!
 
            Oh! – Sorry I should have said Thought  Showers!
 
Michael

[Lynn]

Dear Michael,

Thank you for sharing your informed, witty commentary on the "thought shower" controversy. The whole issue did seem silly to me. But at the same time, I want to pay attention to people's legitimate gripes about insensitive language.

I appreciated reading your perspective.

Lynn

[hello]

Hello,

I first heard of this term in this video. I couldn't believe it, but it's true, Orwell's Newspeak is here !