Indirect Speech

Let's be honest here. Nobody ever actually says exactly what they mean. And in my opinion, indirect speech is a part human nature and plays essential role in the success of society. Some may say that they want other people to be blatantly direct and say what they mean. However, the moment someone says something direct, they forget what they had said about direct speech and become highly offended. An example of this in Pinker's piece is taken from the movie Tootsie where it is discovered that "such hypocrisy is a human universal." People may think they want nothing but honesty, but the truth is that we need indirect speech to build a respectful relationship with one another. An example of this is needing to speak to a teacher about fixing a grade from a day you were absent. You can't just go up to the teacher and say, "fix my grade." Instead, you'd have to talk to him or her about how their weekend was and how you just love their outfit today, and build up to finally ask "Do you think it would be possible to change my grade?" This way, you can politely establish a respectful relationship between yourself and the teacher, giving you a better chance of having your grade changed. This use of indirect speech is beneficial for everyone; the human race is used to hearing exactly what they want to hear, and if you know what someone wants to hear, wouldn't you say it if it improves your chances of getting what you want?