Great Misinterpretations

Suppose you publicly declare, “X causes Y.”  If people have strong emotions about X or Y, they’re likely to misinterpret you in at least one of the following ways.

1. Misinterpretation of certainty: “So X certainly causes Y.”

Reply: Who said anything about certainty?  In normal English, assertions are not certain.  That’s why people will often hear a statement, then request further information about your confidence.  As in: “Are you certain of that?” or even “Are you absolutely certain of tha...