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They are taught to speak that way in certain circumstances. It's called "circumlocution". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumlocution https://en.wikipedia.org/
by _wldu 5y ago
They are taught to speak that way in certain circumstances. It's called "circumlocution". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumlocution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumlocution
- 13415 5y agoWhat's the function, if I may ask? Is it to be more persuasive, or not to get pinned down easily?
- mschuster91 5y ago> or not to get pinned down easily? This. When dealing with legal stuff, it's very easy to commit verbal mistakes that can sink your case - in Canada, they passed the Apology Act of 2009 for that reason.
- speg 5y agoThat’s an Ontario law, but it looks like several other provinces have something similar.
- _wldu 5y agoIn some cases, the purpose is to say something in such a way that seems to have an opposite meaning to what is being said. Here's an example, "I do not speak it in vanity, but simply record the fact, that I was not unemployed in my profession by the late John Jacob Astor;" He could have instead said, "I always worked for John Jacob Astor." For many more examples of this, read "Bartleby, The Scrivener" by Herman Melville. https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/11231/pg11231.txt https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/11231/pg11231.txt
- ehnto 5y agoI think it can help make ambiguous statements more robust and complete. "I wasn't there" instead of "I was not at the location stated at the time recorded in the complaint". I sometimes use it if I'm discussing something with someone who likes to nitpick small details that aren't relevant to the main point of the discussion. It can help you railroad a discussion down a particular path. That makes me sound super rude but it's more of a defensive communication device in that circumstance.
- stjohnswarts 5y agoI've met more than a few engineers and CS people who can do similar, especially when they get angry. Lawyers are on another level though.