Webster: “to use unclear language especially to deceive or mislead someone; to avoid committing oneself in what one says.” Do you know people who do this? Of course you do… we all do. The question should be – is this something you do? Again, I suspect that we all do – at least on some level with some people… sometimes. If we ‘use’ the excuse that we do this unthinkingly, that truly is no excuse, in fact – it’s almost worse. When we do something ‘unthinkingly’ then this means that the words/behavior is so ingrained that it is the default method.
So if we equivocate – do we mean to deceive or mislead? Perhaps we do this to avoid committing ourselves? Why? Why do we have such a hard time to make our ‘yes’ yes or our ‘no’, no? (Matthew 5:37) I suspect part of the reason we do this is so that we always have ‘a way of escape’. Yes? However, I believe the primary reason we do this is some form of perceived personal ‘threat’ – it’s a self-defense and self-preservation behavior.
I think we all believe that if we don’t truly commit ourselves to (fill in the blank) then we won’t be associated with ‘it’… especially if it ‘fails’. But what if it succeeds? Can we somehow align ourselves to reap some of the reward? To me this is a very iffy way to live. Without commitment, pro or con, we don’t stand for anything. And you know the fate of those that have no stand… yep – if they don’t stand for something, they will fall for anything. (attributed to Alexander Hamilton). This is sadly always the case though sometimes those who fall don’t even realize it until they are on their backs.
Personally, I don’t see any value in equivocation. It may postpone, but it is never a quality to pursue because no one knows what you believe, perhaps including yourself. I believe it is simpler and more honest when you state your stand. You can always modify or change or refine when you know what you believe and why. Since equivocate, according to Webster, means to deliberately be evasive, what’s the opposite? Again citing Webster – the opposite is candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness. This approach leaves less room for doubt or question and does allow all to know… precisely.
