Oratory for Scientists

[…] good writers don’t flaunt that anxiety in every passage they write; they artfully conceal it for clarity’s sake.

— Steven Pinker, Why Academic Writing Stinks

Here’s a big problem in our mental firmware: we trust and follow people who sound confident. We are more likely to believe things to be true when we hear them from a zealot than from a moderate.

I’ve noticed that many scientists don’t sound confident enough when they speak. In searching for accuracy, the key point of the message is lost. What’s even sadder is that this is more likely to happen to scientists who care about being truthful the most. They are more likely to understand that the truth is nuanced, and to know the limits and caveats of their statements, so they feel they need to anticipate and disarticulate every possible objection to each sentence they say. They use phrases like “this probably shows” and “it would make sense to assume that”, which can be confusing, and confusion kills persuasion.

Truth is nuanced and probabilistic and, in today’s digital world, content is fast-paced and bite-sized. The media doesn’t care about truth, they care about retention, so they have every incentive to speculate and exaggerate. If scientists don’t anticipate this, they are likely to be taken out of context by the media.

Why do we follow confident people? They are clear. They provide straight and concise answers, and that’s what people are looking for. Life is messy and we don’t have time to do our own research on every topic. That’s why religion is so popular. When we go to the doctor, for example, we expect her to tell us what to do without overwhelming us with information. We ignore much of the rest, such as the probability of a wrong diagnosis or the side effects of the prescribed medication. Sure, credentials help doctors have credibility, but one of the main reasons we trust them is because of the way they sound. When talking to us, they are not rambling about a million things we don’t care about or pondering about their thought process. They tell us only what we need to know.

I think that’s one small step for a man, but it might be a giant leap for mankind eventually.

— Neil Armstrong, but full of doubt

I believe many scientists would benefit from a public speaking course. Also, there are some great resources online, like this video:

There’s nothing wrong with making bold statements if they are properly backed up with data. Bold communication is more efficient and persuasive, even if slightly less precise. A simple answer is often the right move. Making bold statements matters, so let’s spread the word.

Comic by SMBC