Difficult words do not make thinking deeper

Today’s reflection

In this 1946 essay, Orwell argues that clichés, abstractions, and jargon can conceal thought instead of expressing it. Treating language as a tool for revealing meaning rather than decorating it, he offers six practical rules. Today's English sentence is a short direct quotation from the second rule. In his final rule, Orwell adds that any of the earlier rules should be broken rather than produce something outright barbarous. Simplicity, then, is not the end in itself; precision of meaning is.

1. Jargon is useful when it is necessary, but it cannot replace a thought that cannot be explained in familiar language. Rewriting in plain words exposes gaps in logic and ambiguous assumptions.
2. A concrete sentence reveals the structure of responsibility. A statement becomes an actionable commitment when it names who will do what and by when, instead of merely saying that something should be advanced.
3. Conciseness does not make an idea shallow. It removes words that do not affect the reader's judgment and shortens the distance between the central claim and its evidence.

In an age when AI can generate polished prose instantly, we need to distinguish polish from clarity more rigorously. Abstract nouns and corporate clichés in a strategy document can hide the owner, the choice, and the consequence. Good writing does not transfer the work of interpretation to the reader; it shows what is true and who must decide what. Clarity is not merely a stylistic preference but a responsibility for judgment.