In 1946, George Orwell wrote an essay called Politics and the English Language. He was tired of how people used vague, bloated language to hide weak ideas.

He said: 

“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

Orwell wasn’t just talking about politicians. He was talking about everyone who hides behind words. The kind of writing that sounds smart but says nothing. 

The kind that uses phrases like “leverage synergies” or “drive holistic alignment.” You read it, and it feels like English, but you have no clue what it means. During my time in the corporate world, I was constantly exposed to that writing, and it always annoyed me.