Thursday, August 6, 2009

Probably

When people ask me if I can do something, if I can come to something, etc. and I think I can and want to, my general response if 'probably.' This must infuriate some people who want to know things for "sure" and be able to plan. But I have good reasons for saying probably over definitely, sure, etc. in that it's impossibly to mean something like definitely, or sure when you're ntalking about the future. Anything could happen. And while my level of commitment is generally above the level usually referred to by probably, I can't think of a succinct way that I could say it more precisely.

In emails and things like that, I will sometimes say "Yes, barring some exceptional circumstance" or the like, but that's a bit of a mouthful in a conversation. "Almost certainly" is pretty good, but then I have to go through this whole thing when they ask me why I'm just "almost."

Oh, the tedium of trying to be precise...

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