Status quo is a Latin phrase that means established situation or state of the moment and is frequently spelled incorrectly: status quo. The funny thing is that the wrong spelling is the most generalized and, therefore, the correct one appears to be wrong. According to current spelling rules, the status quo should be written in italics or using quotation marks.
Status quo as a Latin phrase highlights a fact: Latin is a dead language because it is not spoken but remains very much alive in the language. Do not forget that sometimes we do things ipso facto, we send our curriculum vitae or we stay in albis.
Politics as a basis
Status quo is a term that is commonly used in the sphere of politics and more specifically in the field of diplomatic relations between nations.
The fundamental idea of this phrase is to express that a political reality remains stable. Thus, if a diplomat says the following: "the two nations must maintain the current status quo", it is affirming that it is not desired to change the situation and that it is preferable that the relations between the two nations continue in exactly the same way.
The ideal modality?
In general, those who defend the status quo of a situation consider that it is the best option. Consequently, this means that there are others who do want to change circumstances and therefore yearn for another state of affairs, another status quo.
The status quo implies that there is a balance of power and there is a group that tries to maintain it at all costs, while other groups consider that a change, a new order, is necessary. It is appreciated that in a diplomatic way the concept of status quo communicates a danger: that political stability can be broken at any moment.
As a general trend, the defenders of the status quo are those who have the power and consider that the situation should not be modified and any contrary proposal is considered as a threat or a danger that can break the harmony. Instead, opposition groups typically question the status quo. In this sense, there is an implicit message among those in favor of preserving the status quo, who come to say that it is better not to touch things, that everything remains the same and that changes are dangerous. This hidden but evident message has its logic, since it is in international diplomacy where this phrase is commonly used and, as is known, diplomacy has real and other hidden interests.
