I've now read through your reply in detail. Thank you again for sharing.

> My own usual practice when using a phrase I've coined (or think I've coined) is to reference it with "what I call"

I will begin using this practice myself; I wish I had known about it 5 years ago, which is when it seems you first started using it on HN!

> All language creates thoughts and ideas in the mind of the reader or listener at the initiative of the writer or speaker.

Yes; however my point centers on the phenomenon of certain phrases that, when searched across different disciplinary fields, unlock or stimulate thoughts or ideas that would have otherwise been more difficult to link together. This is made possible because certain phrases are strongly correlated with invoking a specific concept. [1]

For instance, the use of the phrase "why don't you just" invokes the concept of cutting the Gordian Knot. [2]

> "Power" carries strong implications of coercion or manipulation. Themselves common practices in sales and marketing.

On this, we could go way down the rabbit hole and spend a lot of time discussing this. It touches on values, philosophy, ethics, and is really based on opinion. I will say, I agree with you in how you seem to present coercion and manipulation as distasteful. However, there are many people with incredible thoughts and ideas who will never be heard. There are many amazing products that will never be seen. The battle is for human attention. Marketers and salespeople are good at getting it. Yes, there are those who use coercive and manipulative means to do so. I did at one point in my career. But I've learned the hard way (Facebook/Google Ad Suspensions), that the best route is to not do such a thing. Many people learn the hard way, but don't learn, or course-correct. They devise new schemes and tactics for manipulating people (and in my opinion, these people can go to hell).

> "the power of search" [and] "power phrase"

I would refine my language and eliminate the term "power". The main point is that the parent post shows the utility of phrase search and regular expressions for unlocking general, global patterns in language, in that certain phrases are strongly correlated with invoking certain concepts ("why not just" <=> cutting Gordian Knot), and when one observes such phases shown side-by-side across different disciplinary fields, it stimulates thinking that otherwise would have been more difficult to link together.

It somewhat reminds me of Niklas Luhmann's philosophy with his Zettelkasten Note Box for research. He relies on randomness and patterns of concepts across different disciplinary fields, which otherwise wouldn't have been unlocked:

> for even the creation of random suggestions requires organization, and if only in order to be sufficient for the demands of speed, accumulation and probability of success, which are necessary within a dynamic society. [3]

Those are my thoughts.

Now... on how to simplify this concept, and/or what actual utility and value one mine from it... well... that's a whole other thing!

[1]: Thanks for this recommendation on unlock or stimulate

[2]: I had not heard of the Gordian Knot before; thanks for sharing. It was fun to research and learn about. If you see this, I'd love to know how you first came to learn about it?

[3]: “Communicating with Slip Boxes by Niklas Luhmann.” Accessed May 4, 2021. https://luhmann.surge.sh/communicating-with-slip-boxes.