Abuse: To promote oneself or one’s interest while bringing harm to another person or community.

Activist: Type of overt Nobody Right-Rank that uses social organization to attack rankism.

Adler, Alfred: An early twentieth century psychologist who was interested in how humans seek power, and how they use that power either to help society or as rankists to help only themselves.

Aggressive Posture: A conflict posture where we move against those who threaten us.

Alpha: Taken from the first letter of the Greek alphabet, a dominant member of a group.

Anarchist: Seeks to overthrow governments in the hope that everyone will then live in equal harmony, has always led to violent disorder and mayhem with no plan to reorganize society.

Anxiety: Generalized fear that can paralyze a person and has no real threat.

Avenger: Type of covert Nobody Rankist who strikes at a Somebody Rankist in such a way the Avenger will not be recognized.

Bully: Takes advantage of the weaker by treating them in a variety of rankist ways so the recipient feels threatened and humiliated. See Tim Fields online at www.bullyingonline.org

Common Shock: Term coined by Kaethe Weingarten that describes the effect on those who observe rank abuse of others.

Communication: Used here to describe the process by which we interact with others to make sense of our physical and social world, as well as of our Self.

Conflict Postures: Ways in which we orient ourselves against those who may attack us.

Covert: Behavior which is less public or more subtle or hidden, less easily observed.

Detached Posture: Conflict posture where we move away from those who threaten us.

Dignitarian Foundation: Inspired by Robert Fuller, a foundation associated with the Dignity Movement that promotes respectful treatment of all persons- r egardless of their economic, educational or social rank. See website www.dignitarians.org.

Dog-Kicker: Type of overt Nobody Rankist who strikes back at abuse from a superior by attacking someone who is weaker.

Degree of Activity: Alfred Adler’s suggestion that the amount of activity each Rankist type directs toward others in a hierarchy is important.

Emotional Abuse: One of the results of rankism is emotional damage to the participants.

Empathy: Process of understanding others by putting ourselves in their bodies and minds so we can learn what it means to be human.

Extortionist: Type of covert Somebody Rankist who takes advantage of those under the Extortionist’s tutelage by making demands that are unreasonable and demeaning.

Fabricator: Type of covert Somebody Rankist who pretends to create and distribute items or services, but who actually distributes falsehoods or the credible work of others as the Fabricator’s own .

Feral Children: Youngsters who lived in solitude, away from human contact and are later unable to become social beings.

Flatterer: Type of overt Nobody Rankist who insincerely compliments the rank abuser in hopes of being protected by the rankist.

Fuller, Robert: An academic and author who coined the word “rankism” in his book Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank.

Gangster: Type of overt Somebody Rankist who encourages others to gang up on one Nobody and drive that person out.

Gatekeeper: Type of covert Somebody Rankists who permits or denies access to people, information or opportunities in order to control individuals and the system.

Gossip: Type of covert Nobody Rankist who undermines others by spreading uncomplimentary stories that may or may not be true.

Grandee: Type of overt Somebody Rankist who misuses people and systems because Grandees treat everything as though it belongs to them and the rules do not apply to them.

Hierarchy: Any network of humans where some rank higher and others lower.

Horney, Karen: Twentieth century psychologist who was interested in how some humans desire unreasonable control over others. When dealing with power, according to Horney, individuals move toward, away or against others.

Integrative Posture: Conflict posture where we move among conflict participants.

Mead, George Herbert: Proposed that our self identity is created through our interaction with others, that together we create who each of us is.

Mobbing: Heinz Leymann’s term for  the way superiors, co-workers, and even subordinates gang-up on someone to drive them out.  The Gangster-type Somebody Rankist acts in much the same fashion.

Nietzsche, Friedrich W.: 18th century German philosopher who believed the “will to power” was instinctive and morality was different for upper and lower classes.

Noble-Sufferer: Type of covert Nobody Rankist who projects self as fabricated sainthood, rather than fights rankism.

Nobody Givers: Nobodies with high social concern and high activity who give to society, rather than take from it.

Nobody Rankists: Retaliates against mistreatments of powerful with rebellion and sometimes with violence.

Nobody Receivers: Nobodies with low activity and either high or low social concern who would rather receive than give or take.

Nobody Takers: Nobodies with high activity and low social concern who take from society, rather than give.

Omega: The last letter of the Greek alphabet, used in this context to refer to those within a hierarchy without power.

Onlooker: Type of covert Nobody Rankist who stops participating, but does not walk away from or try to change the rankism.

Ordination: Horney’s classification of one’s movement related to   another—toward, away, against; plus Wambach’s ordination of integrative.

Overt: Behavior that is public, blatant, obvious.

Persuader: Overt Nobody type of right-rank who appeals to rankists and others in the conflict situation to stop abuse.

Phobia: A fear of something specific in the absence of any present threat, a condition that can incapacitate a person.

Placater: Type of covert Nobody Rankist who is willing to be conciliatory because of a desire for peace at any cost.

Rankism: The abuse of position within a hierarchy from both up and down the lines of power.

Rankist: One who misuses a position within a hierarchy to abuse others.

Rank: One’s level above or below others because of title, occupation, or social position.

Rank Conflict Inventory: A self-inventory that helps identify individual patterns of possible rankism.

Retaliator: Type of overt Nobody Rankist who strikes back in kind.

Right-Rank: Use of one’s position to better individuals and society by showing respect for the human dignity of everyone.

Scapegoater: Type of covert Somebody Rankist who transfers personal blame to weaker persons or groups.   

Seething Giant: Type of overt Somebody Rankist who controls others with intense physical and verbal outbursts that cannot be predicted.

Self: A process whereby, according to George Herbert Mead, we realize that others treat us as objects and that together, we and they define one another.

Snobs: Those who use objects to increase their own social importance at the expense of others. 

Snubber: Type of covert Somebody Rankist who treats those of lower rank with indifference, as though they do not exist.

Social Conflict: Conflict within social groups that can be productive and move members toward improvements, or conflict that can be detrimental and hurt individuals and group goals.  Rankism leads to negative and disruptive conflicts. 

Social Hierarchy: Necessary arrangement of all human   gatherings, so we can work together and live peaceably.

Social Concern: Motivation for behavior intended to better  individuals’ lives and society as a whole.

Somebody Rankist: One who protects a superior position by obstructing anyone of lesser power.

Somebody Receivers: Somebodies with low activity and low social concern who receive, rather than give or take.

Somebody Takers: Somebodies with low social concern and high activity who take from the world, rather than give to it.

Sovereign: Type of overt Somebody Rankist who maintains control by rewarding only those who are unquestioningly loyal.

Status: The importance others attribute to a person regardless, and sometimes in spite of, the person’s rank.

Tenzin Gyatso:      Fourteenth Dalai Lama. 

Tyrant: Type of overt Somebody Rankist who intimidates others with a steely, unemotional presence followed by harsh discipline.

Verbal Abuse: Attacks of emotion-laden words that can be as damaging as physical blows.