I find this whole line of reasoning to be dubious, unimaginative, and sad.<p>Few people would call me a drab or unopinionated writer. Yet I write in a way that I believe protects me from those who would seize on any misstep to disparage me or even to sue for libel. And I&#x27;ve only slightly relaxed the safeguards I used in my earliest business writing, when I was a stock analyst subject to SEC regulation.<p>The keys to safe and ethical writing are:<p>1. Don&#x27;t lie or deliberately mislead.
2. Be clear about the support for your stated opinions -- including doubts or lack of support.<p>Or, equivalently, adhere as best you can to The Golden Rule of Opinionated Non-Fiction Writing:<p>Give readers the tools to make informed decisions as to whether they should or shouldn&#x27;t accept what you say.<p>Beyond that, I&#x27;d say -- and this is something else that goes back to my experience a stock analyst:<p>A. Your job isn&#x27;t to tell readers what to decide.
B. Rather, your job is to make the best contribution you can to your readers&#x27; decision processes.<p>Ultimately, their decisions are their own responsibility -- and if they forget that fact, then bad on them.