I used the word “catharsis” last night in a conversation with Beaudry, and he wanted to know what it meant. Here’s the definition according to The American Heritage Dictionary (via dictionary.com):

noun
1. Medicine. Purgation, especially for the digestive system.
2. A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience.
3. A release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit.
4. Psychology.

a. A technique used to relieve tension and anxiety by bringing repressed feelings and fears to consciousness.
b. The therapeutic result of this process; abreaction.

Doesn’t it feel good to learn.