Thread by @benjaminwittes

I want to say a few words in defense of filler words, inspired by @Klonick and some of the less than reasonable reactions to her thread on her use of the word “like.”

This is not, as @Klonick described her thread, a feminist rant. It is, rather, a general defense of filler words of all types—by men, by women, by young people, whatever.

I speak for a living. Much of my work is oral: podcasts, television, live events, speeches. I speak A LOT. I am one of those people who thinks well on his feat. I am one of those people folks attach words like “articulate” to.

I use filler words ALL THE TIME.

Why? Because the realistic alternative is to script yourself, either by using notes or by effectively writing a mental script before you talk.

I make a point of never using notes when I speak. If you want the scripted me, there’s no reason for me to be there live. If I’m going to write something down, it’s called an essay and I can post it to @lawfareblog .

If I’m going to be there live, I want to be actually present, authentically so. So I don’t use notes. And I don’t have a TelePrompTer. So there are going to be filler words. It’s gonna happen. Because, well, it’s human speech and authentic human speech has glitches.

I make no apologies for this. And neither should anyone else.

Here’s a radical confession: sometimes, at the beginning of a speech, I actually do it ON PURPOSE!

The reason is that, throwing in a few halting “uhs” or “umms” subtly demonstrates to the audience that you’re actively thinking as your speaking. It serves as an invitation to think and reason with me.

It shows that I’m not a robot reading from a script.

It also, I have found, shows a little humility that people appreciate and thus tends to get the audience on my side—kind of like “well I’m just a country lawyer but....”

So yeah, I use filler words. I’m also a guy about which a newspaper recently wrote this: haaretz.com/us-news/.premi…

In fact, nobody EVER comments on my use of filler words. Nobody ever fails to listen to what I’m saying because of them. And nobody EVER hectors me about it.

So the next time you’re annoyed by someone’s voice, tics, or speaking style, ask yourself a few questions:
(1) Why am I focusing on this? Is it really because it is so objectively distracting or is it because I am choosing for some reason to be distracted?

(2) If the person is a woman—and it often (usually?) is—ask yourself whether you’re subconsciously looking for a way to be dismissive or whether her voice and inflections are really so objectionable.

And finally (3) if you’re dealing with a person of letters, ask yourself whether you are putting undue weight on the person’s vocal style by choosing to engage that person’s ideas by making him or her talk—rather than by, like reading hir or her books or articles.

So long live filler words.

That’s all I, ya know, got.