It’s a pretty common thing on the internet to see somebody relating a story about someone acting in an inconsiderate way and the response is usually something like, “Well that person is a total piece of shit.”
I’m fine with using those kinds of words. What I don’t get is why people are inclined to go full tilt in how they express themselves rather than using the full range of meaning that words provide. It’s like, if you go straight to calling things a piece of shit, how do I know whether you’re genuinely upset about something versus, mildly annoyed?
We have all of these linguistic colors and yet things are so often painted in black and white.
Why is this?
Hyperbole and other superlatives are very common forms of lying, because “everyone” knows that it isn’t literally true, so if you call it out you look like a pedant, but it still has a greater emotional impact than an honest representation of the situation, so it’s a lie that gives the desired outcome of painting your picture without the risk of reputational damage if you are caught in the lie