Why Articulation Matters
Why is “articulation” valued in conversations when the stakes are higher?
Language is a tool used to share messages and information. It involves encoding and decoding at either ends. Many (seemingly unnecessary) structures arise in languages with time such as capital letters, articles, silent letters, etc. to help with its efficiency. Some make it easy to vocalize while others keep the sanctity of the message in noisy environment.
A trade-off between entropy and redundancy appears as we communicate. While a message like “u k?” works with a friend, it does not work in office due to its high entropy. Due to its high entropy, it can be misinterpreted. Thus in office, we prefer using extra redundant words to make the point abundantly clear leaving no room for miscommunication.
“Articulation” is that optimal process of reducing entropy while also keeping the redundancy in check. Every word and every comma has higher significance and meaning.