Why Use One Word When You Can Use 1000?

So two weeks ago I posted my thoughts on Jon McNaughton's painting being pulled from the BYU Bookstore. I also posted several times on his blog before realizing that I was investing way too much time into an argument to which Jon had long since turned a deaf ear. I don't enjoy talking to walls as much as I used to.

But I continued to check his blog for a few days after my last post, wondering if anyone would offer any further insight. Someone eventually did--technically. I say technically because this person did not offer anything new. He had merely paraphrased Jon's explanation--which I had already refuted--in not the most verbose manner I had ever seen something paraphrased, but certainly in a manner more verbose than one could ever expect this explanation to be reworded. It shouldn't take too many words to say "I only meant to depict those who have contributed to our country vs. those who have led our country towards socialism with their corruption and greed. If people see themselves in that depiction, that's their problem."

But somehow, this other person turned that explanation into a novel, perhaps hoping that verbosity could adequately replace innovative thought. Now I can be long-winded sometimes, but not by using big words--which I certainly can--but rather by over-explaining myself. For the record, I'm working on that.

I find it quite amusing when someone feels they can dress up an argument with unnecessary three, four, and five-syllable words and not expect others to recognize it as the same argument someone already refuted. I can use the word 'utilize' too, but it doesn't do anything more than 'use' does. The only time you should use bigger words--even in creative writing--is when they capture the intended meaning more fully and/or they are concrete as opposed to abstract. 'Divisiveness', for example, is even less concrete than 'division', and it means the same thing. Otherwise you risk boring the reader and even turning them off with your implied desire to impress them with your extensive vocabulary. That is not the purpose of any type of writing.