We’ve all heard the famous saying, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.”
But one thing that people must do when they do not know something is simply utter the words “Sorry, I Don’t Know,” rather than create some cock and bull tales that are irrelevant and sometimes make absolutely NO SENSE!
Many of us who might have faced these circumstances might not know that this bitter- batter of words has accurately been called “the tangle of illogic.” a.k.a Twaddle Tendency.
This blog post discusses the twaddle tendency, why it’s so important to recognize the perils of experiencing it, and how to prevent yourself from falling prey to this pitfall.
Understanding The Twaddle Tendency
The Twaddle Tendency is a cognitive bias whereby people become overly enthralled with complex and abstract language, making them less likely to focus on the actual substance of a discussion or argument.
Remembering this instance, A journalist asked a local political leader why he lost his seat in the elections.
He started with:
“Today, I stand before you defeated. I hold the group of locals responsible for my defeat, and they have conspired against me, my party, and this nation. They infiltrated our dreams and deceived our minds, cutting off any chance of victory! No matter how hard I tried, they were there to bring the people and me down. In the end, they have won, and we, the people, lost, and they are not done yet – this was only the beginning of their plot to take over us all! “
This jibber and jabber of words went on and on.
Does his defeat expectance speech touch your hearts? Is there anything in his jibber-jabber that you would like to believe? Churning out trivial talk without genuinely knowing what you’re saying is slippery. It feeds the ego’s urge to appear informed, even when you’re not. It’s just repeating words or ideas you’ve picked up from others, hoping to impress.
However, spotting the fluff behind the flattery is easy for those who truly understand the topic. So, be warned: talking twaddle won’t fool the experts! In the future, pay attention to how people talk when trying to appear authoritative. Chances are they speak from a place of ‘twaddle tendency’ instead of knowledge and understanding. Even in areas where one is supposed to be an expert on the topic, it’s amazing how often you hear this empty rhetoric.
Exploited And Exploiters
The typical victims of the “Twaddle Tendency” are those who lack the confidence or skillset to keep up with complex and technical language. This can include people new to a field, those with less education or experience, or those unfamiliar with particular jargon used in a conversation.
Those who take advantage of this bias often have a vested interest in prolonging discussions and debates without concluding. They may be employed by an organization that seeks to avoid taking decisive action or enjoy having their intelligence validated by listening to themselves speak.
In either case, the language used evades accountability and masks the actual issues rather than engaging in an honest dialogue that moves toward a resolution.
Day-To-Day Twaddle Tendency
- A salesperson uses jargon to confuse customers and make them feel stupid for not understanding more complex concepts.
- Politicians use long-winded rhetoric to distract voters from a lack of meaningful policy solutions.
- An academic spouting off theories without any practical application to the problem.
- Someone in a negotiation who keeps talking and talking to avoid making a decision or committing to a course of action.
- A supervisor who gives a lengthy explanation of how something should be done rather than just demonstrating it.
Recognizing When You Are Slipping Into The Twaddle Tendency Trap
The best way to identify if you are falling into the “Twaddle Tendency” trap is to take a step back and objectively assess the situation. Ask yourself if what you say or do is necessary or could be reduced to fewer words or ideas.
Additionally, pay attention to how others react to your statements and whether your approach makes them confused or overwhelmed. Finally, suppose you struggle to articulate a point or explain something clearly. In that case, it may be time to take a break and consider another approach.
Overcoming the Twaddle Tendency
Here are seven ways to escape Twaddle Tendency traps for better survival:
- Remain mindful of the situation and ask questions if needed.
- Do your due diligence and get all the facts before making decisions.
- Don’t accept things mindlessly – if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.
- Analyze a situation objectively by looking at it from different angles with an open mind.
- Listen to trusted individuals with experience in your research area.
- Make sure your goals align with your values and principles.
- Take time to self-reflect and assess whether your decisions align with your beliefs and objectives.
Final Thoughts
A student project presentation is underway where anticipation fills the room as each student takes their turn to share updates on their progress. It’s an exciting opportunity for them to showcase their hard work and demonstrate their understanding of the project.
However, there’s always that one student who manages to turn a simple update into a perplexing maze of words. As this particular student begins his presentation, the initial excitement quickly fades. Instead of providing a straightforward summary of his progress and challenges, He embarks on a verbal adventure filled with unnecessary jargon, buzzwords, and bewildering explanations.
His sentences become tangled webs of confusion; even for the basic concepts, he seems to be looking at a thesaurus! Thus, leaving his fellow students and teachers scratching their heads in bewilderment. The more he speaks, the further he seems to drift from the main point, going off on tangents that have little relevance to the project.
In his quest to appear knowledgeable, this student falls victim to the twaddle tendency, unintentionally alienating his peers and leaving them adrift in a sea of convoluted language. The room becomes a chorus of blank stares and stifled yawns as the impact of the presentation diminishes.
In this fog of confusion, the opportunity for meaningful engagement and constructive feedback slips away. The audience feels disconnected, questioning whether the student truly understands their own work or if they are simply hiding behind a façade of complex terminology.
Meanwhile, the essential information that should have been conveyed succinctly gets lost amidst a barrage of unnecessary verbosity. Key milestones, challenges, and results become obscured behind layers of excessive words, leaving the listener struggling to grasp the true essence of the project.
Finally
Remember, effective communication lies in the ability to convey ideas clearly and concisely. It is about sharing information to engage and enlighten the audience rather than drowning them in a deluge of twaddle.
Hoping you enjoyed your read! To learn more about cognitive biases and how to overcome them, subscribe to our blog.
Reference
The above article is based on the book Thinking Clearly; this article is here to help us learn and understand how our minds can be tricked by something called cognitive biases.