In linguistics, this can be explained by the difference between the denotative meaning of a word and the connotative meaning. The denotative meaning of fraud is to obtain something by means of deception. But the connotative meaning is ‘something society sees as criminal.’ We don’t have very good ways of communicating without connotations, especially when we need to say something straightforward that is going to trigger someone when they assume implications to what you’re saying. (Intentions = what you mean, implications = what people think you mean).
Ever read an explainer article in which a writer is covering something someone has said which society sees as offensive? First the writer repeats what a shamed person has said, condemns them for it to show the audience that the writer is on the people’s side, and then goes on to make the same assertion as the shamed person’s, only in words that don’t trigger the audience.
Or think of how in conversations, you might need to preface a statement by adding, “technically!” to make the hearer evaporate their preconceptions.
In linguistics, this can be explained by the difference between the denotative meaning of a word and the connotative meaning. The denotative meaning of fraud is to obtain something by means of deception. But the connotative meaning is ‘something society sees as criminal.’ We don’t have very good ways of communicating without connotations, especially when we need to say something straightforward that is going to trigger someone when they assume implications to what you’re saying. (Intentions = what you mean, implications = what people think you mean).
Ever read an explainer article in which a writer is covering something someone has said which society sees as offensive? First the writer repeats what a shamed person has said, condemns them for it to show the audience that the writer is on the people’s side, and then goes on to make the same assertion as the shamed person’s, only in words that don’t trigger the audience.
Or think of how in conversations, you might need to preface a statement by adding, “technically!” to make the hearer evaporate their preconceptions.