War stories, particularly of World War II, keep me both enthralled and horrified. I thought the human race had learned lessons from the dark times of our history, but alas, it is not so, going by the present state of affairs.

Hence, the movie, White Bird- a Wonder story about the times, Jews were rounded up by the Nazis, kept me both enthralled and strangely happy with the way kindness, love, and decency are portrayed amidst such hatred and rage. I often wonder how one person could make an entire nation turn against a race, a community, and bring about such horror against the people, causing heinous crimes against them. It makes me wonder at the impotency showcased by the decent others. Where was Vive l’humanite when you have young and old succumbing to propaganda?

And that brings us to the word Impotency. The term “Etymology” is the study of the origin of words.  The practice of etymology is uncovering the truth by tracing the root of a word.

The word impotence is derived from the Latin word impotencia, which can be literally translated into “lack of power.”  It is more popularly used to denote erectile dysfunction and is sexual in nature. However, it is often used for lack of strength or power, and is associated with being weak or feeble. Going by the present scenario all around, except for armchair debating on the sad state of world affairs, or social media trolling or banter, the majority of human beings feel silenced, irrelevant, impotent, and totally helpless. Isn’t it sad that we didn’t learn from history? Silence has never been golden.

hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.

Image credit: AI

source:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impotent