I had planned a more business-oriented post for today, but one commenter left an interesting message on one of my recent blog posts that I feel warrants a response. His comment was: “by and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.” As a writer, a lover of language and a professional for whom words are a business, I have a few different takes on this comment that I wanted to share. At the very least, it was thought-provoking, and I wonder what other people think about this comment.
The Purpose of Language is Communication
First, I’d argue against the spirit of this comment. Language developed to enable communication. Communication is independent of truth or lies. Communication is an attempt to convey a message from one party to another. In some cases, one or both of the parties might choose to conceal the truth, but concealing the truth is not a function of language – it’s a function of human behavior. I’d argue that by its nature, as a tool designed to facilitate communication, language as a convention runs counter to the spirit of concealment.
Language has Evolved for Accuracy and Precision
How do new words enter the language? Words are coined in an attempt to more precisely describe or identify something. When enough people use words for long enough, they enter the lexicon and become a recognized part of the language. Words don’t evolve to promote concealment and obscurity. They evolve to facilitate precision and accuracy. This facet of language development also runs counter to the idea of language as a tool for concealing the truth. Yes, some people may use it that way, but that’s not why language exists or how it evolves.
Business Use of Language
When you unite business and language is when I think you begin to enter gray areas about the use of words as a tool for concealment. Many companies utilize language to portray a positive picture of their company or product in an attempt to sell the product. How many people want to buy something from a company whose copy says something like: “This product isn’t the best product for this purpose, nor is it the cheapest, but we want you to buy it anyway!” Not very compelling copy. Good copy describes a product accurately, while still presenting it in a positive light.
Personally, I’d argue that good copy doesn’t “conceal” anything from the reader. As a company, you don’t want to set up false consumer expectations or you’ll create disappointed consumers. That’s not the way to build a good business with sustainable success. The goal of good copy is to make consumers want your product without making false promises and without “hiding” things from your consumers. That’s how I write copy, and I have turned down projects that have requested me to make false promises or present products in an inaccurate manner.
Language, Like Any Other Tool, can be Misused
Unfortunately, not everybody has the same approach to accuracy in language. Some businesses do use language to conceal the truth about a product, or portray it inaccurately. For example, I purchased an iPhone 4 and am experiencing the same antenna problems that many people around the country are reporting. Apple’s official response to reports of antenna problems was: “Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone.” Apple hasn’t openly acknowledged the antenna issue, and this language attempts to downplay what is a very real design flaw in the phone. In this case, I would say that language is being used to obscure the truth: that the phone has a design flaw that Apple doesn’t intend to address.
Ultimately, like any other tool, language can be used and misused in a variety of ways. Language is used for concealment by some individuals and businesses, but I’d argue that this isn’t the purpose of language, nor is it the way it’s used in the majority of cases. I’m one of those people who believes in the inherent goodness of humans as a species, and I believe that in the majority of cases, people use language as it is intended – to communicate. So while I have to acknowledge that there is some truth in this comment, in that language can be used as a tool for concealment, I believe that cases where language is used for concealment are a minority.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with this comment, or do you think language is more innocuous – a tool that can be used in a way it isn’t intended to be used?
