I had a English professor who would roll her eyes at students who said "interesting" when discussing reading assignments: "I think this passage is so interesting" or "This poem is more interesting than the others" or what have you. She'd needle the students with "What does that even mean?" It's lost its meaning, the accusation goes; it's vacuous, it offers no substance, it does little if any work, and so on.
Before writing this post, I reflected on this word's problems over on Twitter. The trouble is finding good alternatives, which has baffled me in the past, likely because I hadn't really bothered to figure it all out. As such, I decided to blog about it!
It's important to note that it isn't necessarily wrong to say "interesting." It's just better to avoid it if one can.
I still use it now and then in conversation, and I'm sure you will, too, even after reading this post. It signals what's called "valence"; loosely, that one does or doesn't like something for some reason. But it doesn't really say what that reason is or why it matters, which is why it's best to work around this particular word when possible—especially in writing!
When we say "interesting," it's usually just falling from our mouths or onto the page without any critical thinking behind it. Which is where the problem really lies: thinking, or a lack of it. Hopefully this post helps you get past that problem and leads to better writing!
So what to do about laziness? Well for one, be more thoughtful! In other words, think through what you're trying to say, and try to say it more clearly and directly.
For example, the easy route is to consult any old thesaurus for other options. And that certainly works—as a first step. As with any synonym, care needs to be taken to find the right one; "provocative" and "beautiful" are not the same thing, but they're both synonyms for "interesting."
The next step in finding your alternative might be to elaborate what you were trying to say in the first place. Change it to "This is interesting because...," and then be as specific as possible in filling in the "because" clause. "This is interesting because I like it" adds little value, whereas "...because I like the word choice" is getting somewhere.
In my opinion, though, stopping there isn't much better than where you started: "This word choice is refreshing" doesn't tell readers much that's useful. Is it like lemonade on a hot day or like a web page in your browser? Both "refresh," but probably not in the way you're thinking!
So how was it refreshing? It could help if you bring back the "because" clause that got you started: "This word choice is refreshing because it made me look at those words in new ways." Now the reader has a better idea what you mean by "refreshing." And the more you elaborate from there—which words, what new ways you saw them, and why you want to talk about them at all—the more you'll tell your reader.
And that'll make you interesting.
Photo by music4life on Pixabay.
It's important to note that it isn't necessarily wrong to say "interesting." It's just better to avoid it if one can.
I still use it now and then in conversation, and I'm sure you will, too, even after reading this post. It signals what's called "valence"; loosely, that one does or doesn't like something for some reason. But it doesn't really say what that reason is or why it matters, which is why it's best to work around this particular word when possible—especially in writing!
When we say "interesting," it's usually just falling from our mouths or onto the page without any critical thinking behind it. Which is where the problem really lies: thinking, or a lack of it. Hopefully this post helps you get past that problem and leads to better writing!
We use it without thinking.
Unlike "impactful," a back formation that is imprecise and therefore easily corrected with more precise choices, "interesting" is perhaps more accurately described as lazy.So what to do about laziness? Well for one, be more thoughtful! In other words, think through what you're trying to say, and try to say it more clearly and directly.
For example, the easy route is to consult any old thesaurus for other options. And that certainly works—as a first step. As with any synonym, care needs to be taken to find the right one; "provocative" and "beautiful" are not the same thing, but they're both synonyms for "interesting."
The next step in finding your alternative might be to elaborate what you were trying to say in the first place. Change it to "This is interesting because...," and then be as specific as possible in filling in the "because" clause. "This is interesting because I like it" adds little value, whereas "...because I like the word choice" is getting somewhere.
What specifically is so interesting?
Maybe the word choice made you stop and think, maybe it made you look at the words in new ways, or maybe you'd just never heard of that word before. So perhaps "thought-provoking," "refreshing," or "unusual" would work better than boring old "interesting."In my opinion, though, stopping there isn't much better than where you started: "This word choice is refreshing" doesn't tell readers much that's useful. Is it like lemonade on a hot day or like a web page in your browser? Both "refresh," but probably not in the way you're thinking!
So how was it refreshing? It could help if you bring back the "because" clause that got you started: "This word choice is refreshing because it made me look at those words in new ways." Now the reader has a better idea what you mean by "refreshing." And the more you elaborate from there—which words, what new ways you saw them, and why you want to talk about them at all—the more you'll tell your reader.
And that'll make you interesting.
Photo by music4life on Pixabay.