Don't Be Highfalutin

I was thinking about Cheff Salad and how I might describe this blog to others. The description popped into my head: I describe the microcosm of writing with the macrocosm of the world. I was disgusted with myself.

It was such a terrible and useless collection of words. It was a bunch of highfalutin nonsense. It was big words that sound smart, but say very little.

Highfalutin words are not necessarily evil, nor are they completely useless, but they generally weigh too much to be effective. I find that it is easier to use simpler words to describe what I want than to try to be efficient with these dense words.

What is the "microcosm of writing"? What is the "macrocosm of the world"? Why don't I just say, "I write about all aspects of writing and show how they connect with the rest of the world"?

If you can be simple, be simple. If common words can say what you are trying to say, use them. But if your thoughts need more sophisticated words to articulate themselves, then make use of your vocabulary to do so.

The point is to realize that big words don't make you sound smart; clear and effective communication make you sound smart.