A friend says: "We'll talk later" or: "I'll call you soon", or someone with whom you have a meeting that is running late, writes: "I'm on my way", but it doesn't happen like that at all? Although these vague expressions often leave you in suspense, surprisingly, they work. Without thinking too much, he accepts these promises, even though they probably never happen.
A similar phenomenon occurs with advertising, from the campaigns of major technology companies to political messages. Nike tells you: "Just Do It" and you don't think about what exactly you should do. A political campaign can say, "Yes, we can," and yet no one asks, "We can for what?" or "how are we going to do it?". In fact, these messages are successful precisely because of this ambiguity. The more vague the promises, the more powerful they become.
The greatness of text messages
According to a recent study , ambiguity in communication is not just a phenomenon of these popular messages. In fact, it is part of our everyday life. For example, someone is described as "tall", you feel satisfied with this information even though you don't really have a clear comparison. This way of speaking is acceptable because it gives a general idea - it is "good enough" to create a common impression.
But when it comes to promises, like those you can't test in reality, things get more complicated. These are so-called "vague promises" that are neither verifiable nor falsifiable. Precisely for this reason, they have the greatest power to persuade. Each individual gives their own meaning to those promises, thinking that the message is related to something personal. That's why when you hear, "Just Do," you think you know what to do because you associate it with your desires (whether it's running, jumping, or walking). Thus, without realizing it, you begin to believe that this was your thinking from the beginning.
Why does ambiguity work?
The study suggests that this ambiguity taps into people's natural tendency to process information as quickly and with as little effort as possible. We are bombarded by so many messages on a daily basis that we don't have time to analyze them all. Thus, we accept "good enough" communications because they are easy to digest and do not require much thought.
In today's information overloaded world, people tend to accept vague messages that don't require much analysis. Simple slogans and general promises remain successful because each of us sees them through the prism of personal desires and goals.
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