Apr 17 2006
over hedging?
wendy: Maybe you should consider the benefits of trying out ‘blah’
collegaue: Wendy means do ‘blah’
wendy: (…um, ….yes, …based on what I know already that is my best guess. But I don’t know about the implications of doing ‘blah’ for ’stuff-I’m-not-a-specialist-in’ and… ….more disclaimers…..)
I’m not used to using unhedged assertive directives. They are quick and convey specialist opinions concisely. This is valued in my workplace. It’s difficult to break the habit of constructing sentences with hedging words ‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’, ‘possibly’, ‘consider’, ‘it seems’, “I suspect”…
I use them because I believe they enable direct respect for the knowldge of other specialists and convey there are potential caveats without necessarily ennumerating them. Assertive directives can convey arrogance and ignorance.
3 of your thoughts on over hedging?
