{"id":229,"date":"2020-10-09T12:18:39","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T12:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/?p=1322576"},"modified":"2020-10-09T12:18:39","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T12:18:39","slug":"using-jargon-to-sound-smart-science-says-youre-just-insecure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=229","title":{"rendered":"Using jargon to sound smart? Science says you\u2019re just insecure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I don\u2019t know about you but I\u2019ve lost count of the number of times I\u2019ve heard people<\/span> in the startup world string meaningless words together.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnable best-of-breed convergence,\u201d and \u201csynthesize distributed users<\/span>,\u201d are just two of my favorite jargon-fuelled phrases \u2014 even if I don\u2019t understand what they mean.<\/p>\n

Why, oh, why do people<\/span> feel the need<\/span> to spout these meaningless, empty words<\/span>? Well, according to one specific study, insecurity in the workplace may play a part.<\/p>\n

The study<\/span>, titled \u2018Compensatory conspicuous communication: Low status increases jargon use<\/a>,\u2019 found a correlation between aspiring business professionals, who experienced low status (aka being at the bottom of the chain<\/span> at work<\/span>), would use more acronyms in their written communication<\/span>.<\/p>\n

[Read: 6 work phrases you need to drop if you want your team to like you<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

Interestingly, the same study<\/span> also found that lower-status individuals focused more on how they were being evaluated by the audience<\/span> than higher-status individuals, which led them to increase their use of jargon.<\/p>\n

Now, jargon is used in every industry<\/span>. It may not be unique to the technology sector but I often find it\u2019s<\/span> equally embraced by VCs, entrepreneurs<\/span>, founders<\/span>, and anyone working in tech. Everyone is guilty of using it!<\/p>\n

\n

Why do VCs use the word unpack so frequently? I can\u2019t figure it out<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sherman Lee (@SHERM8N) September 25, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jargon is used indiscriminately in emails<\/span>, press releases<\/span>, and real-life conversations. It\u2019s<\/span> so common that I find myself totally desensitized to it.<\/p>\n

I hear it, I fail to grasp the full meaning of what\u2019s being said, I may secretly Google it on my phone<\/span><\/span>, I get frustrated, and eventually, just nod and move on.<\/p>\n

My issue with jargon is that it can act as a barrier. It can be alienating for people<\/span> unfamiliar with a concept<\/span>, idea<\/span>, or industry<\/span>. And while it may make the user<\/span> appear like an expert<\/span>, it often makes the recipient feel inadequate.<\/p>\n

Think about it: would you attend a dinner party with family and friends and start talking about APIs<\/span>, FTPs, WANs, CROs, or CTAs if the audience<\/span> didn\u2019t work<\/span> in technology or marketing?<\/p>\n

It might make you sound like you know what you\u2019re talking about but I guarantee your grandfather won\u2019t have a clue what you\u2019re on about.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t beat them, join them<\/h2>\n

As much as it\u2019s<\/span> annoying and superfluous, jargon is unlikely to go away. So you literally have two choices: you can embrace it or ignore it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m of the opinion<\/span> that if you can\u2019t beat them, you join them. How? By using a technology bullshit generator<\/a> \u2014 yes, you\u2019ve read that correctly.<\/p>\n

This tool<\/span> won\u2019t change your life<\/span> but you\u2019ll definitely have some fun:<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/a>Yeah, go on, add that value to the platform you\u2019ve streamlined.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/i><\/a>Must optimize those clicks-and-mortar partnerships.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/i><\/a>Proactive action-items are my favorite, especially if they\u2019ve been expedited.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If the above didn\u2019t mean anything to you, don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re not alone.  Now go out and try it on your colleagues, see if they dare to point out your bullshit.<\/p>\n

Jargon is a great intimidator but it\u2019ll definitely make you a worse communicator.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to know what you think about startup jargon? Do you agree or disagree with my take on it? Feel free to prove me wrong (or right) via email, or better yet, write your own post<\/a> on it.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, I\u2019m off to disrupt the wheelhouse, move the needle, and level-up my bottom line. In other words: have lunch.<\/p>\n

Published October 9, 2020 \u2014 12:18 UTC <\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I don\u2019t know about you but I\u2019ve lost count of the number of times I\u2019ve heard people in the startup world string meaningless words together. \u201cEnable best-of-breed convergence,\u201d and \u201csynthesize distributed users,\u201d…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}