The Art of Language -- When Not to Use "Obvious" (An Short Piece by AIHUA)
In the world of communications, sensitivity is not a luxury but a necessity.
So something might be "obvious" to you but not to others. Using "it's obvious" too freely could earn you few friends and many turnoffs because it can be easily construed as a putdown, even though you might not have the intention at all.
So, avoid saying: "It is obvious that this sentence is better than that one."
Instead, say: "It seems to me that this sentence is better than that one."
When is it OK to use "obvious"? How about this:
"It's obvious that MANY Iraqi hate Saddem Hussain and wish for a regime change."
Note that the following sentence could be offensive to some Iraqi and therefore not advisable:
"It's obvious that ALL Iraqi hate Saddem Hussain and wish for a regime change."
See the difference?
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THIS IS MY VIEW.
WHAT'S YOURS.