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What's frustrating about Orwell's writing advice here is that it doesn't really improve society unless everyone does it. If I write using Orwell's rules and my
by devishard 10y ago
What's frustrating about Orwell's writing advice here is that it doesn't really improve society unless everyone does it. If I write using Orwell's rules and my political opponent doesn't, I'll likely lose.
If anything, I wish that the phenomenon Orwell is describing would be used by the people on the "right" side more often--but people who are doing what they think is right don't as often feel the need to obfuscate it for PR purposes.
Ultimately I think understanding the phenomenon Orwell describes is fundamental. You should be able to read "Two died after a shooting incident involving LAPD officers" and know to look further to discover that meant "LAPD shot and killed two unarmed black men". But actually following Orwell's advice on how to write puts you at a disadvantage. Playing by the rules when your opponents aren't is a fool's game.
- barisser 10y agoI don't think that is evident at all. Clear writing will resonate with the reader far more than hackneyed, pretentious constructions. Many of the best communicators in history successfully employed "simpler" verbal constructions than those Orwell rails against.
- devishard 10y ago> I don't think that is evident at all. Clear writing will resonate with the reader far more than hackneyed, pretentious constructions. Then why are all the most popular news sources full of clickbait, inflammatory headlines, and cliffhanger hooks? > Many of the best communicators in history successfully employed "simpler" verbal constructions than those Orwell rails against. History is written by historians, and historians are biased toward things that interest them. Simpler verbal constructions might get written about more by an educated historian, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were the most influential in their time.
- hx87 10y agoDon't know about you, but the second headline grabs my attention much better than the first.
- devishard 10y agoRight, mine too, but it's highly dangerous to assume that your experience is the majority experience. Look at which news sources are popular, and you won't find a single one that writes in a direct style. Also, realize that people writing NewSpeak have gotten better at it since Orwell wrote this.