Dear András,

- because these people think that they are immediately understood,

- because it´s very easy to use common places (others already have thought about),

- because you must not invent new formulations.

- Common places are bad, if they hide real contents.

- Common places are well done, if they provoke the desired reactions.

Dear @Andras, it’s far better to use a simple term and commonplace words that everyone will understand, rather than showing off and annoying your audience! This quote originates from the link attached!

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140319101448-204068115-why-you-should-do-away-with-jargon

Dear Ljubomir,

common place and simple term are no synonyms, simple terms is a language adopted to the possible understanding of the audience, common place is  an utterance with trivial contents, models or contexts.

I have never mentioned that those two terms are synonyms. Dear @Hanno, I have used an expression "... it’s far better to use a simple term and commonplace words..." 

Dear Ljubomir,

I´m convinced of your differentiation and didn´t want to do critics. But I wanted to point out that we have to treat the answers in different ways if simple words or common places. 

Dear Andras and all, that word 'commonplace' is used as adjective, and means ordinary (or unremarkable, unexceptional, unexciting, mediocre).  As a noun, it has a similar meaning of 'everyday thing/event'.

It is true that our life seems to be full of habitual ordinary events, and yet there is good and bad in this.  'Good' because a familiar ordinary schedule we worked out helps us to be efficient, doing certain things almost automatically.  It becomes 'bad or less good' when we stop taking a fresh look (without any creative view) of 'ordinary things'.

On RG, some people like to give answers they have at hand, rather than check out what answers will benefit the one who asked.  They like to be quick to answer and be upvoted, rather than take time to understand what is the Need, behind the words of the one who asked the question.

Dear Ljubomir,

Dear Hanno,

Dear All,

Many thanks for ideas and contributions.

I think commonplaces make poor our understanding, make difficult the change of information. Even, the aim of commonplaces is not the information change but to express that people involved a discussion have the same opinion. I dare to say commonplaces often mean lack of courage, and commonplace users prefer the security provided embracing mainstream ideas and situations. I think commonplaces in science even in human relationships hamper us recognising the reality and we continue living and working in conditions determined by a majority. Briefly, commonplaces may cover new truth but often express general  truths of which understanding may be deformed (not accurate) in a novel situation.

Dear András Bozsik,

I think the most important reason behind this use is that the majority of people seem to believe that using commonplaces is just like a shortcut for the best understating. As Kamal said, creativity and innovation play also a role in this regard. Not all people are creative or innovators.

Regards

This is a good question but it seems the answer may not be as obvious as is commonly believed.     If we are talking about ordinary conversation and some form of exchange, commonplace remarks tend to bring people together rather than drive them apart with abstruse or formal expressions.    Initially, as suggested by @Dr. Mohammad Hamad Al-khresheh and @Ljubomir Jacić, commonplace expressions provide a means of launching a discussion and also provide a path for better understanding.    There is a Latin saying that applies here, namely, Repetio et mater studiorum: repetition is the mother of learning.    And commonplace expression are defined by their repetition of well-understood, widely known manner of speaking.  

The downside of commonplace expressions has already been mentioned, namely, the ambiguity of such expressions.    But then sometimes ambiguity fosters discussion.   Just consider all of the ink that has been spilled Keats' line of poetry: Beauty is truth, Truth beauty, … in an Ode to Grecian Urn:

http://oaji.net/articles/488-1393661442.pdf

https://www.calvin.edu/admin/provost/faith/documents/truth_of_beauty.pdf

http://www.hse.ru/data/2014/08/14/1314803013/Truth%20Beauty.Haas.CorditeCorrected14a.pdf

This question also leads to some interesting philosophical topics such as phenomenology (how we see the world), philosophy of language (meaning of expressions), philosophy of mathematics (introducing formal concepts for the first time, talking about mathematical structures for the general reader), philosophy of science (expressing results for reports to be read by a general audience, introducing experiments for beginning students), aesthetics (what we consider pleasing), and logic (what makes sense in an argument, in a proof, in reasoning).

Dear Jim,

Many thanks for your eloquent and deep thoughts the word commonplace associated in your mind.

I think commonplaces can help to get to the same platform and as you put it, it may lead us towards asking and discussing. However, I think in real and important situations in life and in scientific texts and explanations the very ambiguity of commonplaces does not help the understanding. A commonplace is an average value which often cannot cover the real meaning or information which is a specific value.

Dear Andras, related to this Q, I wish to share something with you.  I've made an observation from the colleagues and the many students that I taught.  It's that some people tend to see things on the surface, but some of us tend to look for deeper things.  Some consider it's very important to dress well and eat well. Some of us consider our learning and research as important and satisfying.  Friends with medical training (like Prof Kamal) would consider bones and muscles etc to be important, and I agree! 

And I also agree with your remark: ' I think in real and important situations in life and in scientific texts and explanations the very ambiguity of commonplaces does not help the understanding. A commonplace is an average value which often cannot cover the real meaning or information which is a specific value.'  Wonderful!  (Prof Ljubomir, good ideas can still be expressed in simple language, that we all understand.)

Dear Miranda,

This is splendid! “Some consider it's very important to dress well and eat well.”

Dear Miranda,

Not some but many think like that! We can agree: living in such a personally imagined and survived, simplified word commonplaces may be sufficient. I am aware that our world goes in the wrong direction because many of us do not want and dare to step into a much more difficult and complex world. They try to form the real world according to their desires and inherited standards. These desires are more important for them than the survival of their offspring, the future generation.

Dear Andras and friends, what you say is right, but I try not to judge people.  After all, everyone has their right, and they have a different background and different values  I only judge the actions that I observe.  For me, it's important to serve as well as I can, to conserve resources and to preserve our earth for future generations.  I often observe that many of my students are just the opposite; they waste lab materials, waste time, waste food.  I have to advise them, and give them a simple personal example...it's not easy to change people.

Dear Miranda,

People have rights but not everybody is able to form a right opinion. Yes, people have rights to accomplish silly, erroneous and wrong deeds. I feel that it is my task and responsibility to show what I think is true and correct.

I am afraid that most of people do not know and do not practice the motto you have shown above.