My dear siblings: 

It seems to me that there is a tendency among you to use words that are what I call one-size-fits-all words. 

For example, I frequently hear you refer to eminent achievements or distinguished products as “great.” But rarely do I hear you use the words “remarkable,” “outstanding,” “superior,” “top-flight,” “superb,” or “prime” in a similar context. 

And it's the same with illegal takings of property. You call each one a “rip-off.” Not a theft, not a burglary, not an embezzlement, or a robbery, or a holdup. But a rip-off. 

Now there are two things wrong with using one-size-fits-all words. 

For one, a word's function is to represent an idea. And no one word can represent more than one idea. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all word doesn't fit anything. So when you use one, you're really not saying anything. 

Let me show you. If everything is white, then nothing is white. Isn't that true? Well, then, in a similar way, if every achievement is great, then no achievement is great. And if every illegal taking is a rip-off, then no illegal taking is a rip-off. 

And for another, and this one is by far the more important of the two, by mechanically using one-size-fits-all words, you don't get to exercise your mind looking for a word that would be a better fit — i.e., a word that would suggest a more accurate picture in a listener's mind of the event or activity involved. 

Now you know what happens when you don't exercise a muscle — it becomes flabby and eventually atrophies. Well, in a way your mind is like a muscle. And if you don't exercise it, it too will become flabby and eventually atrophy. And I sure as heck wouldn't want that to happen to you. 

Think about it.

Love. 

Irving David