self-negating descriptions
Apr. 12th, 2012 08:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I find this sort of thing endlessly fascinating, as I am fascinated by things which cannot be communicated by saying them! Another example is "Please only do [x] if it is absolutely vital." If you say that, everyone who wants to do [x] will decide it is important enough and will do [x]. If you want people to only do [x] if it is absolutely vital, say "No one can do [x]." People for whom it is vital will do it anyway, because they have no choice.