Have you noticed over the past few years that car dealers have coined a new phrase for used cars? They are no longer “used,” they are “pre-owned.” I’m guessing that they think it sounds better, like they are trying to distance themselves from the pejorative term “used.”

Think about the term for a second, pre-owned…
Like Inigo Montoya tells Vizzini in The Princess Bride when he keeps using the word inconceivable, “you keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.”

If a car is “pre-owned” then that means it is before it has an owner. In other words, it is new. A pre-owned car is a new car. The exact opposite of what they are trying to use the term to mean. What they mean is a “previously owned” car. But people really don’t think about these kinds of things and just go along with it, but in the process we are dumbing down our society.

I rented Idiocracy recently. (warning: its got quite a bit of bad language in it, most of it is there to prove a point though) The idea behind the movie is that stupid people have taken over the world 500 years in the future. Its funny but a little scary because a lot of what goes on in the movie is just an exaggeration of today’s society. Sadly, some of the things that are portrayed in the movie don’t seem all that far fetched. I can see our society moving in that direction as we continue to cater to the “lowest common denominator.” People winning lawsuits because their coffee was too hot, stupid “don’t try this at home” disclaimers on every commercial we see, teachers not telling kids they have the wrong answer because it might hurt their self esteem, etc…
Its all ignoring reality to make ourselves feel better.

So next time you are looking for a new car, ask the dealer to show you their selection of pre-owned cars.