Ordo ab Chao — Book Club on Breakdowns & Build-ups > Videos Showing 1-2 of 2

[close] n. the realization that the plot of your life doesn't make sense to you anymore-that although you thought you were following the arc of the story, you keep finding yourself immersed in passages you don't understand, that don't even seem to belong in the same genre-which requires you to go back and reread the chapters you had originally skimmed to get to the good parts, only to learn that all along you were supposed to choose your own adventure. ETYMOLOGY From Latin, literally "the knot that denies by denying." In propositional logic, modus tollens (with an m) is a kind of argument that goes like this: "If P, then Q. But Q is not. Therefore, P must not be." Also known as going back and questioning your first assumptions when things don't work out the way you thought they would. Sounds poetic, in a Vulcan kinda way.

[close] ETYMOLOGY Greek kudos, "glory, praise" + clasm, "breaking down." The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of invented words written by John Koenig. Each original definition aims to fill a hole in the language—to give a name to emotions we all might experience but don't yet have a word for.