Malone's Maxim
Kevin's simple nature hides the true depth of the question. I, like most people, didn’t think much about this statement until I read Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow. In the book he states we perceive those using a wider vocabulary as less intelligent than those using a narrow vocabulary. The reason behind this is our brains associate understanding a speaker with intelligence itself. In other words, our brains tend to think subconsciously:
After learning about the effect word choice has on listener, I saw a connection with my day job as a software engineer. Having a wide vocabulary simply for its own sake is like building a software solution with flashy technologies simply because they’re “cool”. Engineering is not the maximization of technology, it is the use of technology to achieve a goal. Likewise communication is not the maximization of cool words. It is the maximization of transmission of ideas.
The human ability to listen is not nearly as powerful as the ability to speak. Our words should reflect this fact. Every unnecessary, unclear, or confusing word burns the fleeting attention of the listener. Sitting in silence to form your thoughts does not have this effect, and no one will think less of you for it. And now, to satisfy the rule of threes:
