‘Sabog’ – this is a Filipino word used to describe something (emphasis on THING) that is not fixed, unruly, or not functioning well. (Example: A stereo speaker producing a sound that is not pleasant to the ears. You call the sound or the stereo speaker “sabog.”)
You know how sometimes, we use the same word to describe a thing and a person? This word is one of them. ‘Sabog’ has eventually been accepted and used as a descriptive word for a person who can generally be classified into either of these two: a drug addict (or someone ‘high’ in any form of illegal drugs or alcohol), or someone who cannot think straight, not making sense, or whose thoughts are not organized. It’s funny how we associate descriptions meant for non-living things to actual human beings, which makes it all the more offending to the recipient whether the judgement is based on facts or not. That is just not fair.
Call him drug addict if he truly is, call her unruly if that’s what you see, describe her thoughts as unorganized if that’s what you observe. Make your description as specific and exact as possible instead of just settling for a word that could mean something else and which sounds.. simply, rude. The funny and sad truth is, even professionals use this word to refer to a person and not a thing (emphasis on PERSON).
I’m afraid we are becoming more and more dependent to a kind of language that is more offending than honest. Are we now too lazy to think of a better word to translate our thoughts into that we tend to become insensitive and unmindful of how our words affect others?
If yes, then in truest sense of the word, I’m afraid we have all gone ‘sabog’ in our role as communicators.
Stop it. We can all be more than that.
Faith and Letters 