Get that thought from your head to someone else’s.
I came to the same conclusion before reading this post and even phrased it similarly in my head. I strongly agree.
I’ve heard other things are good, e.g. Pinker’s stuff
Can you be more specific? I doubt you’re talking about Enlightenment Now, for instance.
There is this thing where, like, we like to use little words because it seems like it helps us think clearly. This is not always, like, awful, but I’ve started to feel like it’s a bit overused.
I don’t understand what mistake you’re pointing to here.
The point of point 10 is that overusing words like ‘like’ or choosing simple, possibly-inexact words can cause problems. In particular, it can cause writing to stray from being about the idea to being about the interaction with the idea (see point 9), it can set the wrong kind of vibe (communicate the wrong emotive thought to the reader), and it can occasionally obscure the logical content. I think using ‘like’ and deliberately simplified language is great when one is thinking through one’s ideas, but I think it often makes writing less sharp (less bell-like, if that simile resonates).
I came to the same conclusion before reading this post and even phrased it similarly in my head. I strongly agree.
Can you be more specific? I doubt you’re talking about Enlightenment Now, for instance.
I don’t understand what mistake you’re pointing to here.
Do you have any recommendations?
The point of point 10 is that overusing words like ‘like’ or choosing simple, possibly-inexact words can cause problems. In particular, it can cause writing to stray from being about the idea to being about the interaction with the idea (see point 9), it can set the wrong kind of vibe (communicate the wrong emotive thought to the reader), and it can occasionally obscure the logical content. I think using ‘like’ and deliberately simplified language is great when one is thinking through one’s ideas, but I think it often makes writing less sharp (less bell-like, if that simile resonates).
Pinker has a book about writing called The Sense of Style