Tip of the Day: Communication II

Linguistically, maybe is an adverb. Technically, maybe – it’s not.

Okay, lexically, it is an adverb, but metaphorically, it’s anything but.

Think about it – how many times have you said maybe and hidden behind some vague rhetorical or philosophical claim? Maybe even ironic (no pun intended)?

Maybe is one of those words we use automatically in different contexts, but semantically, it’s just a handy way to avoid accountability for clarity or to throw understatements at unsuspecting listeners at the receiving end of the communication. But let’s face it – there’s no deep thinking behind it, it merely postpones the inevitable, and it comes with a whole lotta weight attached.

Pragmatically, though, it does function as a polite refusal (no use denying it, we’ve all been there!), serves as a buffer, and offers a nice little shield of ambiguity one can crawl behind (or under, if the situation demands).

Sure, philosophically, you may claim that maybe is just a word – devoid of emotional charge, often inflated into something it’s not – but more often than not, rhetorically speaking, maybe is just another figure of speech that means both little and a lot.

P.S. Maybe I nailed this post, huh?