User:Septagram/Provert
A Provert are people who may, knowingly or accidentally, use logical fallacies. misinformation. or other methods to support or benefit from changing someone's preferred moral state involuntarily to one considered wrong by society. Likened to a stumbling block or a Pricker's contribution in witch trials. The end effect of the provert's actions is the creation of new perverts and new criminals.
Latin roots of the word Provert.
The correct Latin verb is proverto.
pro - forward; before; in front of; forth
verto, vertere, verti, versus - to turn, turn around; change, alter; overthrow, destroy
proverto - to turn forward; straightforward
As translated by Fr. Gary Coulter 04/20/2007
Example:
A proverted interrogator (not knowing who is guilty in the group, but is needing results) will ask an innocent suspect, if the suspect is still stealing from his employer (a logical fallacy known as a compound question) (i.e., "are you still beating your wife"). If the suspect gives either a yes or no answer, the suspect will look guilty to his employer and make the interrogator look as if he is really accomplishing something. The result is the employer fires the innocent suspect as the culprit and the interrogator is paid for a job well done. A byproduct is the innocent suspect has been wrongly branded a thief and this rumor spreads and the innocent suspect is ruined.
Example: A proverted man in a bar says to an unknown beautiful woman next to him, that the ugly person at the end of the bar is a pervert (this is slander because the provert just made it up and does not know the other man). The woman does not know either man, but assumes the first man (provert) is safe and trustworthy because he knows who the bad people are. Conversely, the second ugly man should be avoided and ostracized. The result is the first man has a better chance than the second man to get the beautiful woman's phone number. A byproduct is the ugly man has been turned into a pervert and the rumor spreads and the second man is ostracized.
Example: Functionaries select for questioning "certain people" more than other people for reasons they figure as “logical” or deliberate. After a while, enough “facts” have been proved though logical fallacies or misinformation, that all said certain people are eventually found guilty. The more the select people are questioned, the more of a general rule they are found guilty. The problem is, that this thinking is more of a self fulfilling prophecy and no facts where properly checked if the select people are any different from other people. If the functionaries somehow benefit from this action, then they would be considered proverts.
+ Provertic Actions in Systems
Large systems can also exhibit provertic tendencies, such as complex overlapping laws that could cause other laws to be unintentionally broken which could create a cascade effect. This can otherwise turn innocent people into criminals who pay multiple fines to the same legal system that benefits. If this cascade effect was done deliberately, then you can argue that this falls under the conflict theory of law. But, since this effect may be unintended, it may not fall under oppression since the “leaders” do not see or understand the complex problem created by these laws. Another system example is multiple computer programs that may conflict with each other. If the conflict is not beneficial to the system, it may be seen as a problem and corrected. However, if the conflict seems "beneficial" to the system, it may be allowed or even expanded by users of the system.
Example: A Manager at a repair shop has three repairers (X, Y, and Z), Z is the newest employee. After a while, the Manager calls in Z and says X and Y are bringing in more money, therefore you (Z) are not as dedicated. Z goes to X and Y and asks what is Z's problem. X and Y tell Z that Z must be overlooking "bad" parts and tell Z how to find more "bad parts". Z quickly becomes as profitable as X and Y to the manager and is considered a dedicated team player. Later Z is caught, by others outside the repair shop, replacing good parts that Z thought were "bad". The Manager says he is upset that Z was a dishonest employee and not like X and Y. The Manager then fires Z and hires a new "Z", starting the ‘’provertic’’ cycle all over. The Manager could be considered an accidental provert since the Manager's accusations instigated Z's moral dilemma to become more like X and Y. Employees X and Y would be considered proverts since they offered a perverted way for Z to please the Manager. Now, if the Manager (being the repairer who originally taught X and Y how to find "bad" parts), knew that Z had to conform to a tacit perverted action (as did X and Y), the Manager would be a definite provert using plausible deniability for protection and employees X,Y,Z, and the shop's customers would all be victims.
+ Proverts in Other Issues
Similar concepts have shown up in other fields; like Economics where Frédéric Bastiat in 1850, demonstrates that people actually do endorse activities which are morally equivalent to the glazier hiring a boy to break windows for him. Recent events such as the 2006 Duke University lacrosse team scandal show some provertic tendencies.
+ Similar Words and Concepts
Enabler: One that enables another to achieve an end; especially : one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by helping that individual avoid the consequences of such behavior. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary Comment on enabler: A Provert does not enable other to achieve their end (unless it is to his benefit), a Provert forces others into achieving his end. Example, An enabler is a wife who hides the fact her husband is an alcoholic. A provert would be the one who's actions would turn the husband into an alcoholic.
+ References
+ See also
Discussion:
"Pro" in Latin means "for" as in, for something. "Vert" in Latin means "to turn". "provert" in favor of turning.
Thus provert means a person who may, knowingly or accidentally, supports or benefits from changing a victim's acceptable moral state involuntarily to one considered wrong by society. Likened to a stumbling block or a Pricker's contribution in witch trials. A creator of perverts or criminals.
This is my definition IMHO. I have seen others say Provert is really an Uber pervert, but this does not match the Latin root words used in Provert thus should not qualify as a definition.
Latin Roots of Provert[edit]
You are correct to assert that the Latin prefix "pro-" carries a meaning of "in favor of." It can also mean, among other things, "earlier than, prior to" or "in front of, forward."
The Latin verb "vertere" means "to turn," and many English words containing the stem "-vert" derive from this root, including "convert," "invert," and "vertex."
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We hope this explanation has been helpful.
Sincerely,
Neil S. Serven Merriam-Webster Editorial Department Apr 23,2007