Mistake Type:
Grandiose
Bombastic pronouncements about society, history, ideology, or theory.
Examples:
“The many experiments of the twentieth century proved that socialism is deeply flawed.”
“Western ideas have brought progress to civilization.”
“America was built on slavery.”
“Wokeism is the new secular religion.”
“The contradictions of late-stage capitalism are leading to its abandonment.”
About Grandiose:
Grandiosity in social media consists in making very broad, sweeping statements that have the effect of smothering nuance. Thoughtful members of the audience typically will have the reaction, “How in the world am I supposed to evaluate that statement?” There may be truth in the statement, but it fails to define scope, acknowledge exceptions, place itself within schools of thought, or provide adequate context.
Grandiose statements are crafted at an excessively abstract level, and may even have a theatrical quality. Whether or not the issuer has credentials or deep knowledge, the issuer’s aim is to establish their authority and heighten their own status. The aim is not to enlighten, but rather to push out a talking point and rally audiences who already have a compatible bias.
Issuers who sincerely believe they are imparting valuable information in a grandiose statement may fail to recognize the limitations of mere words for conveying complex ideas. Social media is particularly ill-suited to nuanced discussion of such ideas.