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There's some truth to the idea. At the same time, I've met plenty of experts who are competent and productive in their work, but incapable of concise communicat

There's some truth to the idea. At the same time, I've met plenty of experts who are competent and productive in their work, but incapable of concise communication. If you sieve through their rambling, you'll notice that they do have a mental model. The problem is that the model is very foreign to other minds, and they do a poor job describing it. This might be the reason that some people are more comfortable communicating with formulas than verbal descriptions. They are eloquent when they don't have to come up with their own words.

seph-reed 5y ago
I'll talk to my friends about "my day" every once in a while. Invariably it involves programming and the act of trying to describe what I'm doing is like off-roading: you constantly have to go long ways around things to avoid crossings the conversation can't handle, it's rough and bumpy the whole way, and some destinations simply can not be reached. In short: I agree that rambling may have more to do with the difficulty of translation than the internal understanding.
- toxik 5y ago
  I find that you can often use analogies or describe very vaguely to at least make some sense. It does take nuance out of the thing you’re describing but maybe that’s helpful. I’ve had multiple times that I explain in simpler terms, and I come to realize what my idea actually looks like to other people.
  - mkr-hn 5y ago
    Some people bristle at analogies for the highly technical things they do. I think they misunderstand the purpose, or think it mocks the work they've put into understanding the subject. A good analogy creates a bridge toward interest, and interest leads to the focus needed to learn the technical stuff.
fragmede 5y ago
English (and presumably other human languages as well) has a lot of opinion pent up in it. Say someone came to my house and then left with a table. Depending on the details, they could have stolen it, they could have bought it, they could be a friend who's borrowing it, it could be a gift to a friend. (There's a ton more possibilities to consider if you're creative.) Formulas are great at the level of expressing that a table was moved, which is the important piece for some. That it misses the human element of the feelings surrounding the event is a different kind of eloquence from flowery prose to entertain.

seph-reed 5y ago

I'll talk to my friends about "my day" every once in a while. Invariably it involves programming and the act of trying to describe what I'm doing is like off-roading: you constantly have to go long ways around things to avoid crossings the conversation can't handle, it's rough and bumpy the whole way, and some destinations simply can not be reached. In short: I agree that rambling may have more to do with the difficulty of translation than the internal understanding.

toxik 5y ago
I find that you can often use analogies or describe very vaguely to at least make some sense. It does take nuance out of the thing you’re describing but maybe that’s helpful. I’ve had multiple times that I explain in simpler terms, and I come to realize what my idea actually looks like to other people.
- mkr-hn 5y ago
  Some people bristle at analogies for the highly technical things they do. I think they misunderstand the purpose, or think it mocks the work they've put into understanding the subject. A good analogy creates a bridge toward interest, and interest leads to the focus needed to learn the technical stuff.

fragmede 5y ago

English (and presumably other human languages as well) has a lot of opinion pent up in it. Say someone came to my house and then left with a table. Depending on the details, they could have stolen it, they could have bought it, they could be a friend who's borrowing it, it could be a gift to a friend. (There's a ton more possibilities to consider if you're creative.) Formulas are great at the level of expressing that a table was moved, which is the important piece for some. That it misses the human element of the feelings surrounding the event is a different kind of eloquence from flowery prose to entertain.