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SHWhen I first started law school, I noticed people used really complex language.
I didn’t understand half the words.
After 5 years, I finally learned how to “speak like them”, which meant using complicated language and lengthy sentences.
Then, in my corporate job in the finance world, I believed that using jargon, corporate lingo, and big words would earn respect and convey credibility. I thought it would make me sound more intelligent (and mask the self-doubt & imposter syndrome I felt under the surface).
Have you ever experienced this?
What I didn’t realize was that it was backfiring big-time– undermining my efforts AND sacrificing my authenticity in the process.
A study published in Applied Cognitive psychology found that those who use unnecessarily complex language were rated as less intelligent, less capable & less competent than those who used simple and clear language. According to UCLA professor of psychology Daniel Oppenheimer (the author of the study) it has to do with how easy it is to understand someone (‘ease of processing’).
These days, I understand the importance (and value!) of clear communication.
The ultimate goal is mutual understanding, not confusion.
That’s not to say that the shorter option is always the better option, only that intentionally choosing the longer version of a word to ‘sound smart’ may not have the desired effect.
It certainly didn’t for me…
So, let’s have an honest discussion in the comments. Have you ever resorted to unnecessarily complex language to appear smarter, more sophisticated, or credible? 👇
📚Reference:
Oppenheimer, D. M. (2006). Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity: Problems with using long words needlessly. Applied Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 20(2), 139-156.
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