Some Clear Talk About Opacity
Opacity? What the heck is that, and how can I put it to work for me?
Well, let me be clear and transparent: opacity is the state of being unclear and non-transparent. It’s adjectival form is “opaque”. Lots of things in nature, like a muddy pond, are opaque. Often, we create opacity for a purpose– most bathroom windows have this quality and generally that’s a good thing.
We lawyers are often ridiculed for the opacity of “legalese”, and while there may be some truth to the legend, lawyers are far from the worst purveyors of opaque language. Try reading a software license or a drug “disclosure”. Even lawyers get headaches trying to read insurance policies.
Like most things in life, opacity can be used for good or for ill. There are times when the kids just don’t need to know what Mom and Dad are talking about, at which times the parents switch to coded language and ten dollar words.
Use of opaque language to hide an inconvenient truth, though, comes with risk. This was earlier discussed in “Assembly Plants That Will be Unallocated”– Seriously? (https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?u=c5b0c09025ad045bf11bb02f5&id=e9d8188c56) . It’s one thing when your company has transgressed or fleeced the public, it’s another to perpetuate the perception that not only are you a crook, but you’re an unrepentant weasel, too.
There are at least three ways to produce opacity. The first is to load up on ten dollar words, forcing the reader to follow along with dictionary in hand. The second is to use circumlocution (now, there’s a ten dollar word!) which means going around and around and around until the reader gets dizzy. The third and most common, much favoured by the Donald, is to string together meaningless buzzwords and empty colloquialisms that make you appear sincere and empathetic, but in reality you’re just making sounds. “Believe me, folks, many people are saying this. Many people.”
But let’s not toss out a perfectly good tool just because it’s often misused. There really are times when broadcasting the hard truth is inappropriate. The baby may be legendarily ugly, but let its mother figure that out on her own. You do no favours by announcing it at the christening, particularly if you’re the priest. “That’s the most adorable little outfit!” is probably the right thing to say.
The truly skillful practitioners are those who string together a series of great stories with a tone of compelling sincerity, creating a sense of something profound, but without having really said anything. It’s the art of transforming a press conference into a lullaby. Of this, former Ontario Premier Bill Davis was a master, rambling for twenty minutes like a kindly and wise old uncle, concluding by sweetly asking, “Now, Jim, does that answer your question?”
So, keep opacity in your arsenal, but only in the interest of truth, said or unsaid.
See missed Briefings! (https://us12.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=c5b0c09025ad045bf11bb02f5&id=b5efdf9247)