Rushdie's advice on writing - don't use adjectives, I am sure is a good and valid one as it forces the writer to think harder about communicating their message without painting a word picture, By the author of the Inc. article takes the advise to business with rather strange outcomes:
Consider a leader describing a future project to their team. Instead of saying, "This will be an exciting, innovative, and impactful project," removing the adjectives could reshape the delivery: "This project pioneers new technologies to transform our industry and redefine customer experience." Notice the shift? The second version doesn't just tell listeners how to feel about the project--it shows what the project does, drawing listeners into a narrative of transformation and innovation.
The second example which according to the author meets the Rushdie style directive reads exactly like business-ese. This is the dreary language people are reading and writing every day of their working lives. The first version is just as terrible and lacks both wit and polish. The second one makes a person want to mentally check out at once. There is nothing of value or interest that can possibly follow such a sentence. I am pretty sure Rushdie had something else in mind when he recommended that writers avoid adjectives.
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