Fear of plainness
It's true that plain writing is more exposed. And it's also true that sometimes that can be dangerous. Bureaucrats know this rule well (those that don't don't tend to survive within bureaucracies, as Dean Acheson's dry comment suggests). Students, for instance, soon learn that since teachers vary in what they expect and how much they tolerate disagreement, the most prudent general writing strategy for school is to develop an opaque style that manages to show off a measure of intelligence in its vocabulary and syntax without revealing too many actual ideas in its content.
Indeed, although I prefer the plain style and strongly advocate it for college writing, it's true that in many situations being forthright and plain could get you in trouble. . . .
SAFE OPACITY RISKY PLAINNESS LIKELY RESULT
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I lost your tax return.
You get fired.
Mr. Jenkins worked for our firm for 18 months, and after a restructuring he chose to pursue career opportunities outside the firm.
We fired him because he's an idiot.
Jenkins sues you.
Contemplation of the text yields a number of possible readings.
I have no clue what this story meant.
Your teacher gives you an F.
Send me particularly good examples of safe opacity you come across (and your translations, if possible). I'll add the best ones to the online guide.
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