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Incorrect comments on Cargo Cult Language - Less Wrong
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Comments (43)
I think you may have a legitimate point but agree with the thread OP that your examples are poor.
You stated the source of my disagreement yourself: "Cargo cult language [can be recognized with] the question: “What do you mean by that?”."
[Warning, obvious statement incoming]
I believe that in most cases where someone says precise in a place where the word accurate would make more sense, while they may be hiding some hidden connotative inferences (as is the human norm), they do have a meaning in mind, the concept of accuracy.
Thus they can answer your question "what do you mean by that," although their answer may be missing some of the incoherent inferences they were making, like "in a sciencey way!"
Certainly they can answer the question. The indication of cargo cult language, as I conceive it, isn't necessarily that the speaker can't answer the question, but that it's asked in the first place (cf. my third example); in other words, there's a suspicion that the actual meaning of the word/phrase the speaker used does not match what they intended to say (because they don't actually know what the word/phrase means).
Under that interpretation, "it often isn’t clear whether the speaker really knows what he’s saying and means to say it or is simply parroting." is a false dichotomy.
The speaker can know what they mean to say, accidentally say something different, and not be simply parroting. They may even be understood because e.g. using accuracy and precision as synonyms is common vernacular.