Quote by David Lehman
Jargon is the verbal sleight of hand that makes the old hat seem newly fashionable; it gives an air of novelty and specious profundity to ideas that, if stated directly, would seem superficial, stale, frivolous, or false. The line between serious and spurious scholarship is an easy one to blur, with jargon on your side.
Summary
This quote highlights how jargon can be used to manipulate and deceive. By using language that is complex and unfamiliar, jargon can make ordinary ideas or concepts appear more impressive or profound than they actually are. It is a way to give a false sense of novelty and depth to something that might be shallow or outdated. Furthermore, the quote suggests that jargon can indeed blur the lines between genuine and false intellectual pursuits by hiding the lack of substance behind sophisticated vocabulary.
Topics
Language
By David Lehman
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