One of the reasons I advocate plain English in our consulting work, or got into media, or even into politics, is battling the pomposity and jargon that prevail—and attempt to be a substitute for true effort and thinking.
   Other than typeface design, where people can see and judge the work clearly, most of the industries or endeavours I found myself in has this common thread.
   So it was refreshing to be referred to Thomas Sowell in his discussion on intellectualism.
   While Dr Sowell is associated with writing politically, often with a conservative bent, what he says makes a lot of sense. For years I read the Hoover Digest to share in his opinions. He points out that the most intellectual of presidents have not necessarily been the greatest contributors to their nation.
   Similarly, we have seen some of the best marketed and promoted rebrands fail. Or, for that matter, some of the most hyped dot coms.
   His conclusion is that groupthink plagues some of our most praised intellectuals: people who got their degrees through regurgitation, and by playing the establishment game to get themselves published in some of our academic journals.
   Our other problem is the psuedo-intellectual: people who might appear to have the form at first glance, but are clueless when it comes to real, critical thinking. They tend to lack intelligence, hence they have to cover it up. And there are many in politics who fall into this realm.
   I may be spoiling Dr Sowell’s conclusion by citing it, but it is worth repeating: ‘But the ignorance of Ph.D.s is still ignorance and high-IQ groupthink is still groupthink, which is the antithesis of real thinking.’
   It’s why conventional thinking will only ever work for some, and it’s usually those who have the dollars to back it. For many of us, unconventional thinking and flanking work far better. And not burying your message in volumes of jargon is a useful first step in making progress in any endeavour. Posted by Jack Yan, 08:50  permalink

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