Opinionpronounswriting stylelinguistics
Authors Critique Use Of Generalized We
5.0
On December 8, 2025, Victor Mair reposts Alex Tabarrok’s quotation of Hollis Robbins, who calls for a moratorium on the generalized first-person plural in blogs, headlines, and opinion writing for December. Robbins argues that the deictic “we” creates synthetic personalization and obscures responsibility, urging writers to specify the referent or use “I.” The shift would increase clarity and accountability in public writing.
Key Points
- 1Proposes moratorium on generalized first-person plural in blogs, headlines, and opinion pieces.
- 2Argues 'we' functions as a deictic pointer, creating fake intimacy and obscuring accountability.
- 3Encourages writers to specify referents or use 'I' to increase clarity and responsibility.
Scoring Rationale
Offers practical editorial guidance and clear rationale; limited novelty and based on opinionated single-source commentary.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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