The artificial preservatives for our egos

Language brings people closer. But only if they speak the same one. I could hit it off with a stranger at a train station, just by asking “Which train should I take to go to the city?”. But if I was in Germany, and asked the same question to a non-English speaking person, I may not get an inch closer to the city or to the person.

Although verbal language is not the only kind of language, it is the most commonly-used tool to communicate. Then why do we complicate it? Why do we introduce new words every day, and expect the world to keep up? Why do we make it more difficult for people to learn it? Advances in all fields (arts, science, technology, sociology, psychology and everything in between) have introduced new concepts, which require new words. Fair enough. If a new planet is discovered…or a new disease is found, of course they will need new names.

But often, it’s an age-old concept that’s re-packaged, actively promoted (in academia, media and big corporations), and brings with it the immensely annoying (and completely avoidable) "corporate jargon". Right from jobs to job titles, things have evolved over the years. The fundamentals though, often remain the same. Let's consider "Marketing". The ultimate goal of all marketing initiatives (directly or indirectly) is to sell or teach people how to sell. But just think of the plethora of words that have crept into our lives from this fundamental concept of “selling”.  There is an article on a whopping 159 types of marketing. And that’s just one perspective…the tip of the iceberg. The same goes for "Management". In simple terms, it is to do with managing something or someone. Essentially, it’s what generations have done intuitively/organically, before “management” gained its current-day status of a highly-regarded “skill” that can be taught and practised in a conscious/sophisticated way, with its many nuances. As with any sophistication, it injected our vocabulary with yet another high dose of jargon.

 The advances may be necessary but the side-effect of corporate jargon is not. It contaminates and challenges the very essence of language i.e. to understand and be understood. And when jargon sneaks out of boardrooms and offices into our dinner tables and casual conversations, nobody wins. It creates barriers, pushes people away and affects our credibility. Nobody likes a Mrs Names-Dropper or a Mr Know-It-All whose primary aim is not to communicate, but to intimidate or impress. These are people who are usually trying to cover-up for fluff (overcompensate because they are insecure about what they are saying) or they want to sound smarter than they actually are.

Jargon can make complex concepts simple (in medicine, for example, it serves as shorthand) or simple concepts sound complex. It's the latter we should be wary of.  That kind of jargon is a threat to language, just as processed food it a threat to our health. There is a huge focus worldwide to steer people back to wholefoods –meat, veg, fruits and nuts, which are as close to their natural form as possible. A can of tuna swimming in preservatives is no match for a fresh piece of fish lightly grilled on the pan. Similarly, “brainstorming”, “strategic thinking”, “ideation” is no match for the simple (yet honest) “thinking”. A “thought leader” is ultimately still a “leader”, “collaborate” is still “work together” and “benchmarking” is essentially still “comparing”. "Leverage" and "impact", on the other hand, should have never been used as verbs.

Our ancestors lived in far more challenging conditions than we do today - battling with harsh weathers, hunting for food, suffering diseases that didn’t have a cure back then, fighting for their lives/principles in war. Yet, their language was simple and honest. And we, the suit-wearing generation of modern times, who invent videos games to simulate challenging environments, have adopted corporate jargon to feel superior. After all, “Content Marketing Specialist” sounds far more important than “Writer”, and “Customer Financial Analyst” sounds meatier than “Accountant”.

Corporate jargon surrounds us. From big corporations to small not-for-profit-organisations, from media and sports to home-based businesses, this annoying gobbledygook has crept into most environments. It’s up to us whether we embrace it or resist it. It’s up to us whether we use the “artificial preservatives” for our egos or preserve the simplicity of language – the most powerful and unique asset of our species.