How much is "a lot"?
18We are surrounded by imprecise expressions:
“— Just add a little salt”,
“— I waited a long time in that line”,
“— She is a bit absent-minded”
But what is “a little”? How much is “a lot”? What exactly does “a little” mean?
These expressions, as common as they are, vary enormously from person to person. The “a lot of time” you spent waiting might be just five minutes for someone more patient. The “a little absent-minded” you used to describe your friend might be read as “completely absent-minded” by someone else.
Everyday communication is full of these elastic terms. They have no objective measurement, but they convey emotions, perceptions, and exaggerations. They are part of our affective and everyday language, but they are also a trap when the goal is clarity.
This is even more evident in professional or academic situations. Imagine a teacher saying that the test will be “easy”. Easy for whom? For him, who studied it for years? For the student who has just been introduced to the content? Or when someone says that “there’s just a little bit left” to turn in an assignment — that “little bit” could be half a page or half the project.
The problem isn’t using these expressions, but failing to realize that they can mean very different things to each person. Clarity in communication requires that we strive to be more specific. Instead of “just a little bit,” how about “put in half a spoonful”? Instead of “I waited a long time,” how about “I waited 40 minutes”?
Finally, and most importantly: understand that others may not see the world the way you do. Not just teachers, but all of us as members of a society, need to develop characteristics such as calmness, empathy, and patience. Because, at the end of the day, it’s in the details that we understand each other.
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