Episode 120: Big Words Make You Look Less Intelligent
Have you ever replaced small words with bigger ones in order to sound more intelligent? Guess what - it usually doesn't work. The bottom line: take the time to understand what you want to say and then say it in plain, ordinary language.
Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files
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Show Notes
Have you ever deliberately replaced small words with bigger ones in order to sound more intelligent? Guess what - it usually doesn't work. In a series of studies Daniel Oppenheimer showed that writers actually came across as less intelligent when they used big words where smaller ones would have worked just as well. The bottom line: take the time to understand what you want to say and then say it in plain, ordinary language.