Sunday, March 20, 2011

(u08a2) Grice's Conversational Maxims

 

The Maxim of Relation/Relevance
Be relevant (Stay on topic)

Cousin: Have you talked to my uncle?
Aunt: Oh, what happened to this? It’s broken.

My Aunt is just crazy and in her own little world.

The Maxim of Quality
Be genuine and sincere, speak the truth. Do not say things that are false, or for which you lack evidence.

Gossip. Friend: I think her boyfriend is hitting on his ex-girlfriend.
Me: How do you know?
Friend: I heard someone talking about it.

People just like to gossip to pass the time.

The Maxim of Quantity
Do not make your contributions more or less informative than necessary.

My mom does this all the time.
Me: Mom, who was the third person of the United States?
Mom: You really have to understand the historical context…. (And she’ll go on to lecture me for half an hour.)

My mother enjoys being a talking encyclopedia.

The Maxim of Manner
Avoid ambiguity and obscurity. Be brief and orderly.

Cousin: If you want you can go start the car.
I don’t do it because it’s cold and I don’t want to go outside, and then he gets mad because he asked me to start the car and I didn’t. I point out how he phrased the question, but he’s still mad.

My cousin seems to think I can read his mind.

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