Friday, April 17, 2015

O is for Omphaloskepsis



The alphabet is just flying by, isn't it?  Here I am with another vocabulary word, and this one's a weird one!

Today's word is: OMPHALOSKEPSIS

Good luck pronouncing that one!

Omphaloskepsis is defined as being obsessed with one's navel.  Who would be obsessed with their own navel?  Well, besides a little kid, anyway?  Some people actually use navel-gazing as an aid to meditation.  Hey, whatever works, right?

It can also be taken in a metaphorical sense. Someone who is so self-obsessed that they lose all perspective can be said to be metaphorical navel gazers.

Trust me.  I'm not making this up.  I wish I was clever enough to make this up.

Reasons to know this word:
-If someone you know is always engaged in selfish pursuits (and we've all known someone like this) you can accuse them of omphaloskepsis.  It's always satisfying to have more words to describe things that annoy you.
-If you engage in meditation, this might be helpful to you.
-It's a fun word to say!

2 comments:

  1. That is an interesting word and definition. Now I'm going to think of it each time I see my bellybutton.

    ~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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  2. That is so strange! I can't believe enough people are obsessed with their navel that there is a word for it! Haha!

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