Communication advice is always pretentious—someone’s trying to say they know more about your ideas and audience than you do. And simultaneously, it’s incorrect for at least some listeners, because they’re wrong—they don’t. Also, correct for many listeners, because many are SO BAD at communication that generalized simple advice can get them to think a little more about it.
At least part of the problem is that there is a benefit to sounding smart. “very” is low-status, and will reduce the impact of your writing, for many audiences. That’s independent of any connotation or meaning of the word or it’s replacement.
Likewise with “I think”. In many cases, it’s redundant and unnecessary, but in many others it’s an important acknowledgement, not that it’s your thought or that you might be wrong, but that YOU KNOW you might be wrong.
I think (heh) your planned follow-up is a good idea, to include context and reasoning for recommendations, so we can understand what situations it applies to.
Communication advice is always pretentious—someone’s trying to say they know more about your ideas and audience than you do. And simultaneously, it’s incorrect for at least some listeners, because they’re wrong—they don’t. Also, correct for many listeners, because many are SO BAD at communication that generalized simple advice can get them to think a little more about it.
At least part of the problem is that there is a benefit to sounding smart. “very” is low-status, and will reduce the impact of your writing, for many audiences. That’s independent of any connotation or meaning of the word or it’s replacement.
Likewise with “I think”. In many cases, it’s redundant and unnecessary, but in many others it’s an important acknowledgement, not that it’s your thought or that you might be wrong, but that YOU KNOW you might be wrong.
I think (heh) your planned follow-up is a good idea, to include context and reasoning for recommendations, so we can understand what situations it applies to.