Steven Pinker
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
So what about those where I'll see the common knowledge, but there is what I'll call an acceptable duplicity.
A two-way duplicity.
A two-way duplicity.
Like we're both aware of it.
But at the same time, I don't want to upset the apple cart because what we got here is good.
That's exactly what I talk about.
I have a chapter called Weasel Words.
Weak words.
That sounds like a fun chapter.
But acceptable duplicity when, I mean, there's all kinds of kind of benign hypocrisy.
The politician who resigns to spend more time with his family.
The escort services.
Would you like to come up for Netflix and chill?
Let's say you were trying to bribe a maitre d' to jump the queue and be seated immediately.
You might, kind of holding out a $50 bill in peripheral vision, say, is there anything you can do to shorten my wait?
I was wondering if you might have a cancellation.
And not, if I give you $50, will you seat me right away?