For the written word, it seems to be laziness more often than conscious choice that "dumbs down" the result.
While I don't look at it in quite the same way, I absolutely agree with your point. I've been doing it all my life, because being ostracized for being an intellectual elitist is especially frustrating in the few moments when I'm not exercising that elitism! I've told quite a few people that the best way to tell when I am overtired or drunk is to watch for when my vocabulary starts to show.
This is part of my point, I do not like the idea that society feels that this loss of your full vocabulary usage is a benefit. Thanks for the response.
You forgot option number 4 (If a word that is used in conversation is such that it cannot be understood by the others in the conversation there are three obvious solutions): 4) Monitoring things like body language and facial expressions, the speaker can notice when others seem to be struggling with the meaning of a word, and quickly restate the thought in simpler language, thus allowing the hearer to continue taking part in the conversation without loss of face.
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While I don't look at it in quite the same way, I absolutely agree with your point. I've been doing it all my life, because being ostracized for being an intellectual elitist is especially frustrating in the few moments when I'm not exercising that elitism! I've told quite a few people that the best way to tell when I am overtired or drunk is to watch for when my vocabulary starts to show.
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Collapse, Jared Diamond
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4) Monitoring things like body language and facial expressions, the speaker can notice when others seem to be struggling with the meaning of a word, and quickly restate the thought in simpler language, thus allowing the hearer to continue taking part in the conversation without loss of face.
This is the one I most often do.
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