The Rise of Pompous Prose

Lately, I’ve noticed a trend unfolding on LinkedIn – an influx of extremely verbose posts that seem to all prioritize having lots obvious ‘insightful’ and ‘deep’ sounding phrases or life learnings or work place learnings to share in 2 to 3 paragraphs. These are usually accompanied with a ‘happy’ looking person at their work place or a serene shot or a team shot. Or for the few artsy ones it’s a shot or graphic which may represent symbolic wisdom. And it is almost as if they are following some unwritten formula. It’s as if there’s a competition underway to see who can craft the most convoluted, ostentatious piece of content, all in the name of appearing wise and experienced and uber philosophical.

I feel LinkedIn should primarily be a platform for professionals to showcase their expertise and insights. It seems however that the trend has started changing towards individuals wanting to come off as some uber intellectual beings who are navigating the professional circles for sport and are actually beings from a higher plane of wisdom. They have taken it upon themselves to transform it into a stage for their personal soliloquies. Every day, my feed is inundated with lengthy diatribes, overflowing with jargon and buzzwords, masquerading as profound revelations.

But let’s be honest – does anyone truly benefit from these verbose monologues? More often than not, they serve only to inflate the ego of the author once combined with overzealous engagement in the form of hollow comments and ‘reactions’. Oh reactions – that oh not so important currency created by these social entities to keep the actual currency pouring in to their coffers. In our quest to establish ourselves as thought leaders, have we lost sight of the essence of effective communication and networking?

I believe it’s time for a shift in perspective. Instead of striving to impress with flowery language and grandiose statements, let’s focus on clarity, authenticity, and genuine insight. Let’s engage in meaningful dialogue that fosters connection and understanding, rather than alienating others with our linguistic acrobatics.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s certainly merit in sharing valuable lessons and experiences on LinkedIn. But let’s do so in a way that is accessible and relatable to everyone. Let’s strip away the layers of pretense and speak from the heart, sharing stories that resonate on a human level.

So, the next time you’re tempted to pen a lengthy treatise on the state of the industry, ask yourself: am I adding to the conversation, or simply adding to the noise? Let’s reclaim LinkedIn as a platform for authentic connection and genuine exchange – one meaningful post at a time.