@MyNewtBoobs I enjoy running to the dictionary, if a book doesn’t make me do that occasionally, I rather not read it (I’m not including children’s books in this instance). However, I don’t like it when the text is pointlessly complex, vague or overly descriptive. Techno jargon loses me quickly when it assumes (I’m stupid if) I (don’t) know exactly all of the acronyms in existence. I think there is a big difference between talking and writing, and also what one likes to read and what one likes to write.
When you said:
“Plus, I think it’s often used as a way to discriminate against the less educated, poorer echelons of society, like a form of educational discrimination.”
I had to disagree here, now that there is the internet, you can look up all these words very quickly, so if you don’t understand something you can ask google, or whoever is talking. If people use words that easy and simple and dumb down to the lowest common denominator then no one will learn these big words. I learn big words because I bump into them, I’m not that bright, but I’m clever enough to ask questions and look things up. Someone once called me a pedant, and I asked what that was. It was a great moment because they got egg on their face by explaining what it meant and I learned a new word.
I wish most of what was written was condensed into perfectly concise beautifully poetic sentences that communicated the most clear message with the fewest words. To me it doesn’t matter the size of the word, rather, the length of the document.
I have to say, I adore this line from Winnie the Pooh:
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?” -A.A. Milne