Why do people water down what they're saying?

It creates a small amount of suspense, and you have to know… what did Yanno do? and of course now you’ll ask, well what kind of trouble is Yanno in?

It makes the conversation more fun I suppose, and more suspenseful

It’s probably a way of easing someone into the bad news they are about to give.

so that the truth is easier to swallow.

Ahh, the art of the understatement…

Because everyone has their own variation of voice. Your delivery is your perspective, so perhaps someone who says “he kinda got himself into a little trouble” may find an otherwise serious situation humorous, and is using that method of delivery implies that. Some folk enjoy using language subtly.

Probably for the same reason you used the term “water down”. It’s the way you learned to present a situation to someone.

Now, I tend to be blunt. So, I’d have written this question…“Why aren’t people straightforward (or honest, or blunt) when they speak?”

@RandomMrdan I thought “yanno” was the gross slang for “you know” Just seems strange that the OP would choose a New Guinean name for her example lol.

I think it more or less stems from a natural desire to dance around topics. For they may be delicate or potentially insulting. Perhaps it’s a way to “buy some time” if you will, in order to think what to say next. For example, often times when someone repeats a question you just asked them, even though they are standing in close distance and you spoke loudly and clear, is because they’re trying to figure out what they should say next and want to avoid an awkward silence. (side note, this also means that often times they’re lying or unable to give you an accurate answer).

The thing that really bothers me though, is when people use long, drawn out sentances with plenty of words that almost no one uses in everyday conversation, when a quicker and more basic choice of speech would do, just so people assume their abnormally intelligent.
for example. “Regrettably I am disinclined to acquiesce your request but I am dualy most appreciative”
when you could just say “no thanks, bud”
That may have been slightly exagerated for effect but it drives me up a wall when people insist on doing that.

@ABoyNamedBoobs03 that annoys me too! Also, I think people should get strait to the point.

People who dance around a subject are either trying to create suspense, as mentioned above, or, they’re using discretion and tact. Most people want to avoid offending others and/or want to be considerate of others’ feelings, especially if they don’t know the other. What’s the saying? “Discretion is the better part of valour”? Something like that.

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Because they can’t, or they think other people can’t, handle the full truth.

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