As communicators, we must strive to be precise. Specific is terrific when it comes to communication. The writer of the quote below should have cut to the chase and said “woman” here, as opposed to the less precise “person. ” It was a missed opportunity to be precise right out of the gate, since it becomes plain that this “person” is a woman as you continue to read. See what you think:
One person I spoke with who runs a company that provides work for marginalized communities in Afghanistan (who withheld her name, owing to the dangerous nature of her work) told me that when she decided to take a sabbatical, she found that “half of the battle is believing that you are worthy of a season of rest and deconstructing guilt and fear of judgment.”
As an editor, I would have suggested “One woman I spoke with…” to begin this paragraph. Drill down to precise as quickly as possible for efficient communication. Of course, this rarely happens in The New York Times. After all, The New York Times is, well, The New York Times!
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