There’s a Difference Between What You Say and What People Hear

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>The theme of this chapter is effective communication and interpretation. It discusses the important, and oft-neglected, concept of uptake: how words land with audiences. Effective communicators must pay attention to uptake, which depends on vastly more than the content of what is said (or written): for example, who’s doing the saying or listening, how things are said, and what else is said or not said. Relatedly, the chapter explores the prospects and pitfalls of the principle of charity: when and why we should give people “the benefit of the doubt.” Finally, the chapter considers the concept of moral luck, which posits, paradoxically, that some aspects of moral guilt and innocence are significantly beyond an individual’s control, and it draws some lessons for contemporary public discourse.</jats:p>