Have you ever gone house hunting and noticed the effort that goes into styling the properties on the market? A splash of colour spills across a bed of plumped-up pillows. A well-designed artwork calls from a freshly painted wall. A recognisable wine bottle and 2 glasses rest on an outdoor tray. Not an object seems out of place.
Have you ever gone house hunting and noticed the effort that goes into styling the properties on the market? A splash of colour spills across a bed of plumped-up pillows. A well-designed artwork calls from a freshly painted wall. A recognisable wine bottle and 2 glasses rest on an outdoor tray. Not an object seems out of place.
It’s an illusion to make potential buyers envision what the home could be like.
All that surface beauty serves to draw our eyes away from structural faults and ugly truths.
Rather than taking in the unsealed windows, you admire the curtains. Unaware of the cupboard door that doesn’t quite close, you stare at the recipe book propped on the spotless bench. Distracted by the carpet’s pattern, you don’t observe the sagging ceilings.
Before settlement, you inspect an empty shell. Now you can see what you’re getting.
Although it doesn’t seem nearly as glamorous, it’s easier to picture where to put the dresser. You can imagine how to position your desk in the study. And you have a clearer idea of what is going to work, and what won’t, than you did a month ago.
Something similar happens with language.
Writers can dress up flimsy arguments with descriptions. They pull your thoughts in a certain direction, away from any problems. And they trick you into believing their propaganda or falling for their advertising spin.
Plain English does the opposite of that. It’s like the bare house, with the essential information on display.
You can tell what facts are useful. You can look beyond the clutter of detail. You can grab what you need, fast.
When you’re searching for answers, you want to read unadorned language. It’s clear, it’s direct, it’s concise.
And it leaves no room for doubt.