闪闪发光的共性是一个模糊的词或短语，用来唤起积极的感觉，而不是传达信息。这些术语也被称为发光的泛指、空容器、美德词或负载词（或负载短语）。使用它们被描述为“反向呼唤”。在政治话语中通常被用作闪闪发光的概括词的例子包括自由、安全、传统、变革和繁荣。

实例和意见

"A glittering generality is a word so vague that everyone agrees on its appropriateness and value—but no one is really sure just what it means. When your instructor says she is in favor of 'fair grading policies' or 'flexibility in the submission of assignments,' you may think, 'Hey, she's not so bad after all.' Later, however, you may discover that your interpretation of these terms is quite different from what she intended." (From "Listening: Attitudes, Principles, and Skills" by Judi Brownell)

广告和政治中的声音片段

"Glittering generalities are used in both advertising and politics. Everyone, from political candidates to elected leaders, makes use of the same vague phrases so frequently that they seem like a natural part of political discourse. In the modern age of ten-second sound bites, glittering generalities can make or break a candidate's campaign. "'I stand for freedom: for a strong nation, unrivaled in the world. My opponent believes we must compromise on these ideals, but I believe they are our birthright.' "The propagandist will intentionally use words with strongly positive connotations and offer no real explanation." (From "Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion" by Magedah E. Shabo)

民主政体

"Glittering generalities 'mean different things to different people; they can be used in different ways.' A prime example of such a word is 'democracy,' which in our day has a virtuous connotation. But what exactly does it mean? To some people, it may be treated as supportive of the status quo in a given society, while others may see it as requiring change, in the form, say, of reform of election financing practices. The ambiguity of the term is such that Nazis and Soviet Communists both felt they could claim it for their own system of governance, despite the fact that many in the West saw these systems, with reason, as the antithesis of democracy." (From "Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion" by Randal Marlin)

财政责任

"Take the phrase 'fiscal responsibility.' Politicians of all persuasions preach fiscal responsibility, but what precisely does it mean? To some, fiscal responsibility means that the government should run in the black, that is, spend no more than it earns in taxes. Others believe it means controlling the growth of the money supply." (From "Artful Persuasion: How to Command Attention, Change Minds, and Influence People" by Harry Mills)

炽热的普遍性

"When the orator Rufus Choate derided 'the glittering and sounding generalities of natural right' that made up the Declaration of Independence, Ralph Waldo Emerson made Choate's phrase pithier and then demolished it: ' "Glittering generalities!" They are blazing ubiquities.' " (From "On Language" by William Safire)

来源

• 朱迪·布朗内尔：《倾听：态度、原则和技巧》，第五版。劳特利奇，2016年
• 宣传和说服的技巧〉，普雷斯特维克之家，2005年
• 马林，兰德尔。《宣传与说服的伦理》，博德维尤出版社，2002年
• 米尔斯，哈利。“巧妙的说服：如何吸引注意力、改变想法和影响他人。”AMACOM，2000年
• 萨菲尔，威廉。《语言论》，《纽约时报》杂志，2004年7月4日