Re: Offending People's Minds

Sunah Cherwin (slippery@pobox.com)
Fri, 23 Aug 1996 17:39:58 -0800


>I was meaning that sometimes it is good to present one's ideas very
>bluntly and matter-of-factly, with no sugar coating.

That does have a good strategic purpose sometimes. I have to say, though, I
usually do it for fun. That's another problem with E-prime--it's harder to
be blunt in E-prime than in English. To point out an offensive equation,
you have to IMPLY it, which seems kind of sneaky and less forceful. As I
say, I LIKE offending people sometimes. For someone who doesn't, this
E-prime thing might be an advantage, and it's certainly an advantage for
noticing one's own limiting equations.