Malleable

[Dr. Goodword]

• malleable •

Pronunciation: mæ-li-ê-bêl • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 1. Soft but firm, capable of being shaped by outside pressure or influence, as a malleable metal or malleable mind. 2. Adaptable, capable of adjusting to changing circumstances.

Notes: The trick to using this word effectively is to remember that it is spelled -eable and not -iable, the more common spelling of words pronounced this way. It is an odd spelling of that suffix. Like all adjectives ending on -able or -ible, the noun is formed by the addition of -ity: malleability.

In Play: This word refers to a substance that is firm but soft enough to be shaped in some way: "When Art Major sat down at the wheel to throw his vase, he found that the clay had dried out and was no longer malleable." However, it also carries the meaning of someone who is easily influenced: "Martin's mind is so malleable, his friends had no difficulty in convincing him that Iraq is in Afghanistan."

Word History: This Good Word came to us via French from Late Latin malleabilis "capable of being hammered into shape". This adjective was derived from the verb malleare "to hammer", a verb made from malleus "hammer", the source of English mallet and maul, the large (sledge) hammer. Mallet and maul were borrowed, but the original Proto-Indo-European root (mol-/mel-) also came to English directly, via Old Germanic, as mill, the instrument for grinding grain, and meal, the output of mills. Latin also used this root in its verb molere "to grind" and the noun mola "mill". The ever-efficient English language borrowed these words, too, for its word molar, the grinding tooth. (We happily admit that we are malleable enough to listen to Susan Lister when she suggests wonderful Good Words like today's.)

[Slava]

A malleable mind is a scary, but necessary, thing, no? A degree of malleability is required for learning, but too much and one can be led far down the garden path to all sorts of mischief.

[Debbymoge]

Slava, I agree.
I would offer the idea that one proper way, if not THE proper way, to add a bit of support without stiffening the brain, is called "knowledge".

[Slava]

Well, don't they also say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing? And, let's face it, much at all and you're branded as 'woke'! Egads!

[Debbymoge]

I didn't put a limit on knowledge.
And I don't give a fig for what others may throw at me as their idea of a pejorative.
Their estimation of me or anyone or anything else is theirs.
We can always discuss, but it not a given that either one of us needs change our views at the end of the discussion. It is sufficient that we accept that we are each entitled to our own views, but we have to start with the same correct information.

Debby

[Slava]

Then we run into the malleability of truth, especially these days. My truth isn't your truth, etc. Tell a big lie loud enough and often enough, and people will believe it and it becomes 'true.'

[bbeeton]

It's becoming harder and harder to determine the "true facts". That's what a good education helps with -- teaching one to think. Maybe this was easier in the last century, even with its bias against female scientists, but I haven't given up my belief that education is still valuable, even if it's harder to dig up the truth these days.

[Debbymoge]

Barbara, I whole heartedly agree. However, it brings up another problem. The educational systems in this country have been systematically degraded (at best) and there is little teaching going on as far as I can see.
Children need to be taught critical thinking. Unfortunately, however, most people don't know the difference between critical thinking and criticism--
a confusion engendered in the Nixon years.
Many journalists at that time mistook the critical thinking exhibited by Woodward and Bernstein and carried that misunderstanding to its logical extreme. They thought they could become famous by simply attacking political figures, without bothering to spend the time and energy doing the real research and fact checking that W and B invested in their work.
The attack mode that sells newspapers, as we all know, has now spread to anyone at all, not just politicians.