Words Change, Concept Stays

When I was younger, a new phrase came into use called 'headspace'.  From what I remember, it was popularized by people saying that they wouldn't 'let people rent space in their head', by which they meant that they wouldn't entertain what negative people said and did, but forget it and move on.  It was famously used by a person who had been pranked on TV.  He was ridiculous, but the concept was soon accepted in pop culture.

The phrase seemed to replace another phrase which I had always used:  'internalizing'.  Negative thoughts and people would always happen, this philosophy said, but it is external.  You can choose not to 'internalize it', by which we meant accept it, draw it in...let it affect us.  I have to say, refusing to let people rent space in our heads was a much more entertaining way to think about it, so many people my age stopped using the term 'internalizing' in favour of protecting their 'headspace'.

I was in a meeting with someone the other day...someone I have to confess is much younger than me.  She told me about a negative experience she had just had with a less-than-pleasant colleague, and then waved her hand and dismissed the experience.  'I just don't have the bandwidth to deal with that sort of thing today.  Let's forget it.'

Huh.  It seems that 'headspace' has been replaced, just as 'internalizing' was replaced.  A new image has arisen to articulate an old concept; one that can really speak to people living in an entirely digital culture.  After all, if you don't keep your bandwith free, it slows everything down, causes glitches, and generally ruins the online experience.

I doubt that 'bandwidth' will entirely replace 'headspace', or even 'internalizing'.  Different people will always use different terms at different times.  What I find so interesting is how the same concept, i.e. reducing the impact of negative people and thoughts, can be fit into different cultural constructs.  

If only we could just remove the negative altogether.  How pleasant that would be.