Hm. So-- I tend to completely disregard poshlost as long as the one speaking the word isn’t personally a Triglavian because I don’t assume even the kybers really have the concept down enough to use it precisely.
I’d probably feel the same about subornost if it came up more often, but, naturally, in the clash of rhetoric its counterpart comes up a little more.
As far as I can tell, subornost seems to combine the meanings and connotations of “sympathetic” and “compatible” with the Flow of Vyraj-- something to be drawn in and incorporated.
Poshlost seems like the opposite: incompatible (not by inclination, I think, but by nature?) and obstructing-- something valueless or harmful that, at best, clutters up the place, something to be removed.
It’s interesting to me that while some kybers throw the term around pretty freely the Triglavians themselves have been slow to term even opposing eggers “poshlost.” Might be they still hold out hope of talking us around. Might also be that there’s actually a lot of space between the two terms-- a sort of “neutral” zone where stuff that’s external to the Flow but not really very much in the way lives.
It was also interesting that the Intriguerre spokesguy a few weeks ago used poshlost to describe not people (ARC) but activities (evacuating Pochven residents). The way he talked about it, it was like we were busting into a boot camp and emancipating the recruits-- disruptive, obstructive, BAD. But again, if I remember it was about the activity, not so much the people.
Seems maybe the Triglavians are practical enough to judge actions long before they judge the people behind them, though eventually if we make enough trouble we might earn the designation. If we don’t, it probably means they’ve adjusted or adapted to the opposition, and we’re just kind of part of the environment. The bank does not flow with the river, but does it oppose it, really?
Ah, so much about them that’s admirable. If only they weren’t quite so frequently AWFUL.