I’ve been thinking about “-isms” lately (Which, in and of itself, is a bizarre thing to contemplate, don’t you think?).  Our lives are ruled by these:  conservativism, liberalism, conservationism, environmentalism, atheisim, and on and on.  We’ve attached this almost anything we deal with these days.

Webster.com defines -ism as:

Main Entry: -ism
Function: noun suffix
Etymology: Middle English -isme, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, partly from Latin -isma (from Greek) & partly from Latin -ismus, from Greek -ismos; Greek -isma & -ismos, from verbs in -izein -ize
1 a : act : practice : process <criticism> <plagiarism> b : manner of action or behavior characteristic of a (specified) person or thing <animalism> c : prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a (specified) attribute <racism> <sexism>
2 a : state : condition : property <barbarianism> b : abnormal state or condition resulting from excess of a (specified) thing <alcoholism> or marked by resemblance to (such) a person or thing <giantism>
3 a : doctrine : theory : cult <Buddhism> b : adherence to a system or a class of principles <stoicism>
4 : characteristic or peculiar feature or trait <colloquialism>

Main Entry: ism
Pronunciation: 'i-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: -ism
: a distinctive doctrine, cause, or theory

Really, by reading the definitions, an -ism can be just about anything.  We can attach it anything and it can become a condition, a property, an act, a practice, a theory.  Anything in the world can be an -ism.  The possibilities are endless. 

Doesn’t that make your head spin?

So, in the grand spirit of sharing the weird happenings in my brain, I will share a few “-ism” websites with you:

Glossary of Philosophical Isms
Word List: Isms
The Institute of Silly and Meaningless Sayings (ISMS)

Go out, spread your isms.  Be free with them.