Quantum Platitudes

A quantum platitude is a slogan whose meaning depends on whether you agree with it.

If you agree, it has one meaning. If you disagree, it has another.

This superposition of conflicting meanings is used to trick people into evangelizing absurdities.

Think of it like a reverse dog whistle: If a dog whistle is for hiding communication with an ingroup, a quantum platitude is for proselytizing — for winning converts while hiding what they’re agreeing to, even from the converts themselves.

“Support our troops”

Support our troops has two meanings — one implicit (“I’m pro-war”) and one explicit (“soldiers are brave and worthy of praise.”)

• If you agree (by saying yes, support our troops!), the implicit meaning applies — you’re pro-war, without having to admit it.

• If you disagree (by saying no, don’t support our troops!), the explicit meaning applies — you’re disrespecting our brave soldiers.

If you reverse which meaning is explicit and which is implicit, you get absurdities:

• “Soldiers are brave” is too obvious to be worth saying.

• “I’m pro-war” is too evil to admit.

“Wealth creation is value creation”

Let’s try a harder one.

Wealth creation is value creation has a quantum definition of “value.”

• If you agree with it, “value” means “market price” — you’re saying the only value is market value, without having to admit it.

• If you disagree with it, “value” means “contribution,” and you’re an idiot for saying contributions aren’t valuable.

If you reverse which meanings are explicit and implicit, you get absurdities:

• “Contributions are valuable” is too obvious to be worth saying.

• “Market value is the only value” is too evil to admit.

Once you look beneath the hood, the logical extension of “wealth creation is value creation” is “paywalling sunlight is a service to mankind.”

Quantum platitudes trick people into evangelizing absurdities.

What other examples can you think of?