In the beautifully-titled study, On the Reception and Detection of Pseudo-Profound Bullshit, the authors contribute to this important field of research by adding that “pseudo-profound bullshit” desires to be perceived as true and profound, yet is too vague and deliberately ambiguous to be considered such. Rather than inform, it attempts to impress, seeking more to be engaging rather than instructive. I’m especially fond of the how John Lanchester of the New Yorker described business-speak. He called it “elaborate ritual and language, designed to bamboozle and mystify and intimidate.” This seems to be the prevailing approach to communication in the workplace, but why?