There are advantages to this style of writing even when the general term isn’t contentious.
These kinds of concrete descriptions encourage readers to look at the world and see what’s there, rather than engaging primarily with you and your concepts.
This can be good for people who know less about the topic, since looking at the world has fewer prerequisites. And it can be good for people who know more about the topic, since they can gain texture and depth by looking at new examples.
Though with non-contentious topics it’s easier to add a general term at the end as a label to remember, or to tie the post into a larger conversation, without overshadowing the rest of the post.
There are advantages to this style of writing even when the general term isn’t contentious.
These kinds of concrete descriptions encourage readers to look at the world and see what’s there, rather than engaging primarily with you and your concepts.
This can be good for people who know less about the topic, since looking at the world has fewer prerequisites. And it can be good for people who know more about the topic, since they can gain texture and depth by looking at new examples.
Though with non-contentious topics it’s easier to add a general term at the end as a label to remember, or to tie the post into a larger conversation, without overshadowing the rest of the post.
I agree, and I would extend the advice to all the expressions which are short, fashionable, and somewhat opaque.
In Politics and the English Language, Orwell offered further arguments for avoiding ready-made phrases.