Gehenta

Gehenta is a Gylic concept that describes a spirit of improvisation, workarounds, and makeshift solutions aimed at reaching a state of social harmony. It plays a major part in Gylian culture and is seen by Gylians as expressing their national character. It does not have a literal equivalent in English or French.

Etymology

The word comes from the Early Erani Eracuran *ǵʰeh₂n-, meaning "to yawn, gape" — which is also the root of the Hellene kháos (χάος), the source of the word "chaos" —, combined with the suffix *-teh₂, which forms nouns representing a state of being. Thus, the word can be loosely translated to mean "a state of chaos".

Gehenta is the Gylic koine form of the word. Variants in other Gylic languages include gehanta, gehynta, geienþa, genta, and gehenþa.

Meaning

Gehenta represents a spirit of improvisation and quick-and-dirty solutions, an attitude of flexibility and finding order in chaotic situations, pursued with a great deal of persevearance.

Various English metaphors can be considered close in meaning, such as "kludge" or "jury rigging". However, these lack the element of persevearance inherent in gehenta.

Origins

Predecesors to gehenta existed in the Liúşai League, and are attested in the mythology and nuanced morality of Concordianism.

Historian Herta Schwamen writes that many of the non-Gylic populations that settled in what became Gylias had similar concepts, for example the Nordic lagom and the Miranian wa. Ancient Hellene philosophy, particularly Epicureanism, was an important influence on the concept.

The concept developed and gained its modern significance after the Liberation War. Historian Nina Raukan describes gehenta as a compromise between the two leading models available to Gylians — the "clockwork organisation" of Alscia and the "freewheeling messiness" of the Free Territories. This theme of gehenta as a "middle course" for Gylian identity is echoed by many historians and commentators, and has been compared to the "miserable compromise" that produced the Constitution of Gylias.

Cultural significance

Gehenta is considered by many Gylians to be a symbol of the national character; cultural commentator Hanako Fukui calls it "the word that probably best explains Gylias".

Examples

Gehenta gained a central part in Gylias' collective discourse during the National Obligation period. The use of rationing and trial-and-error methods to carry out radical economic transformation helped imbue Gylian society with an appreciation of resourcefulness and reciprocity. The tenacity required to successfully navigate the period and achieve the construction of a Lange model market socialist economy became a leading example of gehenta as the basis of Gylian success.

Significant examples of gehenta in popular culture include the Suzie comics and orgone films, both reflecting the central image of the concept in characters that got by with what was available and helping each other. Suzie became a beloved symbol of gehenta precisely because of her depiction as a naïve yet likeable young woman who constantly got fired from jobs due to incompetence or bad luck, but was never shown as struggling, desperate, or affected by setbacks, instead carrying on with her innocent persevearance.

A central value associated with gehenta in Gylian society is using one's judgement to discern when gehenta is appropriate or non-harmful and when efficiency is essential, based on situation. This ethos assumes a major role in public services, where abusing one's office or being deliberately obstructive are punished, but "minor rule-bending" and "minor turning a blind eye" are tacitly accepted as long as they don't harm or prejudice anyone.

An example of this attitude is found in the 1967 bestseller Coffee, Tea or Me?: Gyliair's official rules ban drinking 24 hours before a flight. However, the flight attendants' trade union "quietly ignores" the rule, with flight attendants observing an honour system in which they look after each other's consumption to avoid them becoming too incapacitated to carry out their duties. As Radix commented in 2007, this approach paradoxically strengthened both self-discipline and fostered greater solidarity among workers, brought closer together by the "innocent conspiracy".

Commentary

Summarised by Gylias Review as "a national spirit of muddling through and having things work out by themselves", gehenta has been a major contributor to Tyranian perceptions of Gylians, and has attracted commentary.

While the concept has predictably been most championed by anarchists in the political sphere, it has guided the creation of the Gylian consensus, and has thus been largely accepted across the political spectrum. Different ideologies have found different aspects of gehenta congenial to their stance:

• Liberals have largely appreciated the emphasis on coalition and negotiation for preventing complete dominance by the far-left.
• Conservatives view it as a manifestation of society as an organic whole, and have employed it to bolster their image as amused and sympathetic elder figures, in spirit if not necessarily age.

The philosopher Margot Fontaine praised the use of gehenta as a means of improving Gylian society. She found its "admirable qualities" of restraint, acceptance, and evaluating situations to take right action well-suited to her vision of l'belle mosaïque and l'pays jolie.

Demopolitanism was influenced by the concept. Jane Berger's promotion of the natural diversity and dynamism of urban communities fit in with the glorification of improvisation and "muddling through".

"Gylian practices" have been described as the manifestation of the concept in labour relations.

Gehenta is not always an entirely positive quality. Commentators have noted that while it is well-suited for peaceful conditions, it has a tendency to discourage decisive action which becomes a liability in a crisis. The inaction of the opposition for most of the wretched decade, caught up in internal arguments instead of quickly deposing the Aén Ďanez government, exposed previously unnoticed weaknesses and gaps in the Gylian political system. The fact that it took the Ossorian war crisis to force action outraged voters, who would turn against the established electoral blocs in federal elections for the next decade.

Audrey Epstein, who made use of gehenta in her successful push to crystallise and promote the cultural economic practices of Gylias, expressed concern in her last years that it risked encouraging an insular mentality among Gylians, shown in "reflexive distrust or disregard" towards international markets. She urged Gylians not to treat the Gylian Invasion as "something that happened by chance" and luck, and instead embrace making active efforts to build on their achievements.

Foreign perception

Due to its central role in foreign perceptions of Gylias, gehenta has drawn a mixed response abroad, ranging from admiration to curiosity to criticism and ridicule.

An Acrean military historian that took part in a study of the Liberation War commented that the People's Army won it largely through "blind luck", by facing opponents that were "weaker or more incompetent". The conclusion was that the gehenta mentality would be a major weakness for the Gylian Self-Defense Forces in wartime, worsening their disadvantage compared to conventional militaries.

Chancellor of Delkora Mette Elvensar also expressed skepticism of the concept, telling Darnan Cyras during a state visit, "I don't think 'blundering about in the dark' is really a national quality, or an end to aspire to."

Gehenta has been used derisively by right-wing figures to attack various aspects of Gylias they disapprove of, including its generous social security provision and non-capitalist economy. Archibald Bødker warned that the New Kingdom program would achieve the "Suzie-fication of Delkora". Such statements have provoked vitriolic criticism and counter-attacks from the Gylian media and politicians. As The Social Times summarised: "What sort of sick sociopathic cunt would fire Suzie, let alone throw her away like trash?".

Some economists have criticised gehenta for bringing about an attitude of greater tolerance for inefficiency and redundancy in Gylian society, as seen in the deliberate preservation of occupations like elevator attendants, tray vendors, tea servers, filling station attendants, telephone operators, and paid dance partners, many of which have disappeared as a result of technological or social changes elsewhere.

Gehenta has been credited with fostering good relations with Megelan, as out of all the Common Sphere member states, Megelan's social and economic model is the most similar; the popular saying Tiremm innanz ("Let's move on") reflects a similar attitude of persevering and managing through challenges.