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"Don't hedge your prose with little timidities. Good writing is lean and confident." This is a separate issue, and one I would disagree with. In fact I feel li
by resu_nimda 8y ago
"Don't hedge your prose with little timidities. Good writing is lean and confident."
This is a separate issue, and one I would disagree with. In fact I feel like this is a problematic attitude in our culture. Too many people overconfidently asserting their subjective viewpoints. Real life is full of nuance, gray area, second-guessing, and different perspectives; simple bold assertions usually don't hold water.
David Foster Wallace, considered one of the greatest writers of recent times, filled his writings with qualifications, side notes, devil's advocacy, and at times insecure waffling. To me this is a more accurate reflection of the mind and reality and should not be suppressed for a macho bravado façade.
- 1123581321 8y agoWhy did you write your opinionated comment in a straightforward manner, then?
- dguo 8y agoI don't think he/she did. "I would disagree with" and "I feel" make it clear this is a personal opinion. Also note the presence of "usually" in "simple bold assertions usually don't hold water."
- 1123581321 8y agoYes, but the actual opinions run quite lean and are unqualified except for the “usually,” which the reader understands is placed to head off anecdotal contrary examples. The last one ends with a blunt insult. It’s certainly not DFW’s style of writing.
- dguo 8y agoYou are certainly entitled to your interpretation, but I don't think the writer put in "usually" just to head off anecdotal counterexamples. The principle of charity leads me to assume the writer genuinely believes that simple bold assertions are occasionally fine. Though I do strongly agree with the original comment, so maybe that is the real reason why I am defending it.
- 1123581321 8y agoThat’s fair! I disagree with the reasons presented in the comment, but I agree that carefully qualified, elaborate writing, as well as florid descriptive writing, are all acceptable, and frequently desirable. I just thought the irony in the comment’s style was funny, and maintain that it is stylistically terse overall.
- kashyapc 8y agoTrue, I fully see your point of people imposing their subjective views over-confidently. It is a real problem. :-( But I don't think Zinsser there means to get rid of all 'timidities'. The subtext my mind's eye read there was: don't overdo it. And he goes on to expand: "Every little qualifier whittles away some fraction of the reader's trust. Readers want a writer who believes in himself and in what he's saying. Don't diminish that trust." For instance, I know smart people who often apologize for no reason, do excessive hedging, or start a request with an apology. It gets a bit annoying when I have to read or hear that everyday.
- cat199 8y ago> It gets a bit annoying when I have to read or hear that everyday. Or, this is an entirely subjective thing based on your own cultural presuppositions, and you are actually simply rude/prideful. The coin flips both ways - there is no 'norm' here other than cultural/ethical/philosophical bias.
- deft 8y agoIt depends on why you're writing. If you're using the word "likely" you probably are dealing with some sort of scientific data. Writing for a technical audience needs to be precise, and words need to be only used when necessary and well defined.
- ori_b 8y ago> This is a separate issue, and one I would disagree with. It's possible to state a lack of certainty with confidence and clarity.
- fjsolwmv 8y agoThat's tautological. DFW is considered great by people who like DFW's style.
- 2bitencryption 8y agohuh? you can "dislike his style" but you couldn't possibly use that as evidence that it isn't a masterpiece. I "dislike Shakespeare's style", I guess that makes it a tautology if you were to say he was great just because you like his style?