An interesting observation is here in the following article. The criticism is right on target. Not that I am not guilty of this myself at times, especially in public speaking. How often do we use these fillers, “like,” “um,” “so,” or worse? It’s not limited to the young who have been so poorly educated. “It’s like,” “you know what I’m saying?,” “it’s sort of like,” or “kind of,” are a vacuous waste of breath when all you want are the straight facts. I think that it is indicative of a speaker that is insecure in his beliefs, of a mind that is vagrant and rudderless. My friend Robert Hickson, a doctor of literature, refers to the meandering mind of one who craves wasteful entertainment over education as “stroboscopic.” Now there’s a well-placed adjective.
Brett and Kate McCay, The Art of Manliness:
We should all strive for communication that’s clear and direct. If you’re unsure of the facts about something, it’s better to say nothing than to say something so squiggy as to be devoid of content. And if what you say may cause offense, you may either keep it to yourself, or issue your opinion boldly, content to let the chips fall where they may.
Instead of kind of, sort of speaking your mind, say what you mean, and mean what you say! Full article is here.
