Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Sometimes it is worth the effort to identify the noun and the adjective.

This is an educated guess. The word “guess” is a noun. The word “educated” is an adjective. Nouns are usually facts (a tree is a tree). Adjectives are usually chosen by a person and are subjective (what is a majestic tree to one person is an overgrown tree to another person).

An educated guess is what one person chooses to describe a situation. Another person might call it a foolhardy guess. Still, we are all discussing a guess.

“A guess is a swift conclusion drawn from data directly at hand, and held as probable or tentative, while the person making the guess admittedly lacks material for a greater degree of certainty.” (Wikipedia)

We lack material to be certain, so we guess. Well, yes, I am guessing, but I am educated and I…

Nope, still guessing. Don’t have enough information to make a critical decision.

Let’s admit what we know and don’t know. That shouldn’t hurt much. We can do better.