Vague language (and low communication more generally) also gives you plausible deniability for bending the truth.
Related: It’s a common feature of Machiavellianism to “keep one’s cards hidden” (12:25 here), i.e., not disclosing motives behind one’s actions and generally communicating little information.
People without anything to hide can build trust by communicating a lot and clearly.
Vague language (and low communication more generally) also gives you plausible deniability for bending the truth.
Related: It’s a common feature of Machiavellianism to “keep one’s cards hidden” (12:25 here), i.e., not disclosing motives behind one’s actions and generally communicating little information.
People without anything to hide can build trust by communicating a lot and clearly.
It’s not just bending the truth. Being vague also gives you more discretion in decision making.
If you list objective criteria for a decision, then you don’t have discretion to give things out to your friends or deny things to your enemies.