KA KA KA KA KA🦚🦚🦚
Ever met someone who talks like they swallowed a dictionary and are trying to prove it? Welcome to the world of linguistic peacocks - those delightful humans who believe complex words are a substitute for actual intelligence.
The Vocabulary Virus
Picture this: You're having a normal conversation, and suddenly someone drops "ubiquitous" like it's casual small talk. Translation? "It's everywhere." But no, they'd rather sound like they're delivering a TED Talk in their living room.
Einstein once said, "If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself." Mic drop.
The Peacock's Favorite Words
Let's parade some of our linguistic peacocks' favorite words:
"Ubiquitous" (aka "everywhere")
"Serendipitous" (aka "lucky accident")
"Paradigm" (aka "way of thinking")
"Synergy" (aka "working together")
"Epistemological" (aka... honestly, most people have no idea)
¨Iteration¨ (Ahh… lost again)
Technological Control
It doesn't only happen in everyday moments. It´s even more prevalent in high-tech conversations. Especially nowadays when AI has become so relevant. I remember a couple of years ago when I really needed to understand what the hell was going on with this new thing. Well, imagine the shock when I first listened to Lex Fridman interviewing Eliezer Yudkowsky. yes, I actually have learned his name. And I am horrible at learning names. Anyway, I loved it. And from then on, even if he - as the main face for the other side, the side of slowing things down, of controlling this technology, of being careful - is not the most eloquent spokesperson, well I did catch and understand, after relistening a few times, his fears.
The truth is, we know you guys are pretty smart and many of us just want to really know what is going on. That´s all. It isn´t my intention at all to belittle you.
So, even though I love you guys from Less-Wrong, the truth be told, the 95% of us (I give you MY % since you guys like this stuff so much), regular folk, those who will be affected the most by AI. Yes, the majority would like to every now and then, get something explained to us in a common way. It´s ok to dumb-down a bit. Thanks. 🤪🤪🤪
A Real-Life Translation
Peacock Sentence🦚 : "The ubiquitous nature of serendipitous paradigm shifts in our contemporary epistemological landscape necessitates a comprehensive synergistic approach." 😕😵😖
Normal Human Translation: "Things sometimes change in unexpected ways, and we should work together."😃😄😁
or,
Peacock Sentence: "The arithmetic in Comparative Advantage, alas, depends on the oversimplifying assumption that everyone's labor just ontologically goes on existing." (Eliezer, Less-Wrong, 22nd Sep 2024)
Normal Human Translation: ¨So, imagine an economic theory that says, Workers can always just find new jobs easily!´ But that's totally not how real life works.
In reality, when jobs disappear, people don't just magically get new ones. Losing your job isn't like changing socks - it's a big deal that can mess up your whole life.
The theory pretends people can switch jobs as easily as changing channels on TV. But we know that's not true. Losing a job can mean losing your home, your savings, your whole sense of security.
It's like saying, No problem if you get fired from being a factory worker - just become a computer programmer!´ But learning a totally new skill isn't that simple.¨ (Claude, Diego, 12/16/2024, 10:32AM, Tokyo, Japan)
Ha! Isn't that easier? 😂🤣😂
Why Do They Do It?
Simple. Insecurity wrapped in a fancy linguistic bow. It's like wearing a tuxedo to take out the trash - impressive to absolutely no one.
The Truth Bomb
Real intelligence isn't about how many syllables you can string together. It's about making complex ideas simple. It's about connection, not confusion.
So the next time someone tries to impress you with their "epistemological synergy," just smile. And maybe ask them to explain it to a six-year-old.
Linguistic peacocks, consider yourself called out. 🦚📚
Thanks for reading. Abrazos.
Claude y Diego Rojas.
No dictionaries were harmed in the making of this blog post.
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