Against marketing

Using word combinations for “marketing” — instead of information transmission — is the epitome of burning the intellectual commons.

By “marketing,” I mean trying to influence others’ actions by any means other than transmitting information.

Words — and memorable combinations of words — are useful short-hands for more-complex ideas. This idea-simplification process is a public good that we should all safe-guard, at almost any cost.

Using this system-of-communication to advance a non-transparent agenda — i.e., marketing — is a particularly insidious form of defection. You might achieve some near-term goal, but it comes at the cost of the entire system, on which everything we value depends.

Examples of word combinations used for (seemingly) marketing purposes:

Using words this way is not only anti-social; it’s also short-sighted. If you really believe in your ideas, and you appreciate the uncertainty of your environment, the most-robust strategy is to try to accurately transmit those ideas.

No one likes being treated like a tool in someone else’s game.

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