How Using Big Words Unnecessarily Can Make You Sound Stupid
I'm sure a lot of you guys have tried to sound smarter than you really are for at least once in your life. I know I have, and it turned out more embarrassing than appealing. Not all of us would admit of doing such a thing but deep inside, we all know that we do.
We all want ourselves to be taken seriously, that's fair, but once you start trying way too hard, and that too to a level where you think you need to sound super sophisticated, you will eventually get the opposite result of what you were going for in the first place.
People listen to only those who they can either relate with, or learn something from. But if you use the kinda language that no one really understands or prefers, chances are, they will figure out that you are just trying to sound smart and are in it for the attention.
It's Easy To Tell When You're Faking It
Trying to sound more noble or more educated only works when you are, indeed, more noble and more educated. Unless you are, all you are really doing is stepping into potential embarrassment.
It really is easy to tell when you are trying to sound smarter and when you are not. This applies not just in daily communication, but also in writing and creating articles, including the ones you and I are making on #Steemit.
In fact, according to a research done in the Princeton University, "Writers who use long words needlessly and choose complicated font styles are seen as less intelligent than those who stick with basic vocabulary and plain text."
Smaller Words Have Bigger Influence
The idea is simple here. If more people are able to understand what you are saying, the greater influence you will be able to create because your words will be able to reach out to a bigger audience.
While on the other hand, if you try to sound super intelligent and use really fancy words, most people won't even be able to figure out what you are talking about and they will eventually stop listening to you.
Besides, it makes sense to not go out of your way to sound smart if you already are. That's the reason why leaders or experts often use the simplest of language in order to deeply explain a particular concept.
So it's better to keep it easy and simple instead of hard and sophisticated.
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Good article. I've enjoyed reading it!
I agree that using big words for reasons of impression only is pretentious.
My goal has always been precision of words - to use exactly the word you mean in a given instance. Apparently, I have a relatively large vocabulary, but I also have to be careful not to lose people by using too many larger words at once. Besides, even for someone with a large vocabulary, it's not natural to use only large words! You use them meaningfully - as a well-seasoned spice. (Or something!) :-)
Totally. It's important to know that even if you have a large vocabulary, it's almost always better to use easy words because your readers might not be able to understand the heavy ones.
Glad you enjoyed the article! :)
I so agree here with you--Trying to sound nobler or more educated only works when you are, indeed, more nobler and more educated!! But a lot can fake! Good read :)
I think it's easier to fake it when the other person doesn't know you, because then you have more room to maneuver the conversation in whatever way you like.
Thanks for reading! :)
Thank you very much for the advice
And thanks to you for reading :)
Great and fun article to read! :) And indeed everyone has tried this once in it's life. Think here in the Netherlands we will be thought to step out of our comfortzone and try to reach our potential while doing the thing you describe while at school presenting stuff like projects students made for example. But doing this in a safe environment is fun, and your allowed to fail.
School presentations can indeed be a great way to expand your vocabulary, but as you mentioned, it's only possible when you are free of making mistakes. If you are made fun of while trying, you wouldn't want to step out your comfort zone.
I have been there, done that, few times when I was younger....
surprisingly it worked like a charm most of the time but, sometimes, afterward, I realised I was meaning something completely different...
Learnt the lesson, now, I just stick to what I know... :-)
That's a personality upgrade haha. Just speaking your mind is way better than giving out the wrong impression.
Resteemed your article. This article was resteemed because you are part of the New Steemians project. You can learn more about it here: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@gaman/new-steemians-project-launch
You make some good points here. What is even worse (perhaps) is when we miss-use one of those longggggggg words.
Bottom line is; who are you trying to reach, and are you being successful at reaching that targeted group? But, what the hell do I know, I'm not an astute purveyor of intellectual ramifications, transcending higher planes of multidimensional transcendence.
Oh...by the way; you WON the Pic-a-Topic writing contest again.
I see what you did there haha
And thanks for selecting me as a winner. Means a lot :)
Of course you understood what I did there...I know you're brain function is above average :)
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