'big words'

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Before you criticise people, consider this:

1) If someone is a little slower than you, and can't handle the big words, then you really should be more considerate. Show some humility and use simpler words for them. Many slower people are still very decent people, and afterall, they never chose to be the way they are. If they're being as*holes, by all means, shoot them down, otherwise, show them the same consideration you ask for with your AS.
2) A lot of people use needless "big" words to try to appear smart. Although they should be tolerated because they're fairly harmless and just compensating, it's still annoying to listen to. Sometimes people will mistakenly think you're doing the same.

I do agree with most of what people on this thread are saying. I just think it's important to consider things from all angles.

edit: this was my reply to the raving arrogant aspies on http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... ic&t=20716 . I'm posting this pre-emptively, so it doesn't happen again.

"Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia" or "Sesquipedalophobia", these both mean a fear of long words.

whenever i have used a so called big word it always seems so arbitrary (is that one??). i can never tell what the person will understand and what they won't. the concept of dumbing it down has been brought up to me many times however i don't know how to do that. the easy words never occur to me. . . and yes i have been accused of being one of those people that use big words just to appear smart . . . but i just really don't know what other words to use . . . i love words and appreciate my ability to use them with precision and am often quite dismayed by the way people butcher the english language. its very confusing . . . in addition to not understanding their body language i also dont even know what they are tlaking about half the time.

For someone that must use "big words", and had trouble dumbing it down, you did REALLY well in your last post!

Arbitrary and dismayed COULD be considered "big words" by some, but I doubt it. Try them out. BTW many words don't seem so big once you are in highschool or above. Still, people that don't understand words like dismayed are probably used to hearing "big words". Hopefully, they will be reticent("big word"?) regarding their deficits, and inclined("possibly"?) to research it.

Personally, I think there is a limit to how much it should be dumbed down, and you are probably at that with your last post. Also, I would have used reluctant here instead of reticent, as it is a more common word, and maybe would have said "decide" instead of inclined, as it may be a bit more common. Still, all of the words you used, and the ones I used here, pale in comparison to some I have seen on this forum, and most of those weren't too bad.

It is a sad state of affairs when such a simple post could be considered so haughty("possibly"?).

It IS ironic. I was once told I was using big words when I said things like Kilobyte or RAM(circa 1980)!

As for the "body language"? If I ever get tested for AS, one consolation will be that I could use it to defend my inability to discern such garbage and prove that any "signals" I flash are totally WRONG! That much IS fact anyway. Seriously!! !! There ARE books on body language, and I have done polls and found they are totally bogus. People WILL do things with their face to show emotion. That is a given. Even THAT isn't that reliable, as shown by the face reading tests.

Your time WOULD be better spent elsewhere!

Steve