No, it's not Trump. But, it is probably one of the most used words in the English language. In fact, I've already used the word four times in this article (including the title)...and well, now I've used it five times. The word "THE" is important in many cases. It's a determiner, it can be used adverbially, it can be used to describe enough of a particular thing, it can be used to indicate and point forward to a following qualifying or defining clause or phrase...am I boring you yet?

I bet you're wondering...how is the word "the" evil? Like, we need the word "the"! And you are correct. In many instances, English speakers need the word "the". But, in many cases, we desperately need to forget the word "the", and here's why- it is used far too often to make a generalization reference to something rather than identifying a particular instance.

People, particular instances are EXTREMELY important. Have you ever heard anyone say, "the human experience"? I have. And it makes me feel like I might go a little bit crazy. "THE human experience" is a complete BS term (yes, I mean bull-shit). Think about it...how can there only be ONE human experience?

How can you generalize THE human experience? I would argue that for as many people that have ever lived, even if for one day, even if they never left the womb, there are that many human experiences. We need to stop blanketing our experiences and other's experiences and recognize the individuality of every single person.

Stop saying THE African American Experience.
Stop saying THE Female Experience.
Stop saying THE White Experience.
Stop saying THE Male Experience....etc.

Instead, use more words and articulate what experience you are talking about. My experience. Her experience. His experience. An experience. This person's one experience.

Just because someone is of the same sex, gender, race, etc. does not mean they have lived the same or even similar lives. Let us go then, you and I, into a world where individual experiences are acknowledged.

Only then can we articulate THE world's many problems, shaped and fashioned to lift up each human experience. Equally.