“I’ve noticed a little linguistic tic in some recent public statements – the use of the word ‘ruthless’ as if it was a synonym for ‘diligent’ or ‘competent’.” @dsquareddigest https://backofmind.substack.com/p/ruthless-pragmatism
// kind of dark. reminds me of Kamala Harris’ choice to emphasize the word “lethal” when discussing the armed forces.
🅰️ ®️ ✝️ U
@interfluidity @dsquareddigest lf there is an overspecific qualification or a redundant one, i usually ask myself what the thing is that would be the logical alternative.
My preferred example: mild yoghurt. Is there spicy yoghurt? Savoury yoghurt?
For the ruthless example, i would intuitively ask if those tasks can be done in a kind way. This leads me to assume that the ruthless way is unkind, and probably will cause harm as a (ruthlessly ignored) byproduct.
For lethal armed forces, the result is a bit more comical: nonlethal armed forces. Infants with full diapers? Security guards with pool noodles? I think i need a savoury yoghurt to digest this.
Interesting article, by the way.
