Avoid Contentious Terms
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A succinct term for a concept is great, but only if everyone involved
views it similarly. If you re trying to write something persuasive,
controversial terms are traps that can derail discussion and make
finding common ground harder. Consider limiting yourself to well
understood terms to avoid distracting from your core argument.
One of my favorite comments I ve received
was you re really good at talking about the patriarchy without
talking about the patriarchy, on a post about dividing tasks in marriage. I didn t use
terms like emotional labor , sexism , or, as noted, patriarchy .
This typically involves slightly longer phrasing, but it s not too ....