Business Quote by E B White
![“Another segment of society that has constructed a language of its own is business. ... [The businessman] is speaking a language that is familiar to him and dear to him. Its portentous nouns and verbs invest ordinary events with high adventure; the executive walks among ink erasers caparisoned like…” quote by E B White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3cc/e-b-white-3-53856_business_another-segment-of-society-that-has-cons_2375788.jpg)
“Another segment of society that has constructed a language of its own is business. ... [The businessman] is speaking a language that is familiar to him and dear to him. Its portentous nouns and verbs invest ordinary events with high adventure; the executive walks among ink erasers caparisoned like a knight. This we should be tolerant of--every man of spirit wants to ride a white horse. ... A good many of the special words of business seem designed more to express the user's dreams than to express his precise meaning.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Elements of Style, 1959
Business creates its own jargon, turning ordinary tasks into grand narratives that appeal to ego and ambition.
In simple terms: Business language inflates simple work into heroic tales.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and cut through the hype.
Themes
communication
power
ego
language
culture
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- corporate meetings
- marketing pitches
- negotiations
- team briefings
Key Concepts
sociolinguistics
branding
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does business jargon affect decision making?
- When does it become counterproductive?
A Different Perspective
The inflated language can obscure real issues and mislead stakeholders.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)