Theme 1: Verbosity as a communication flaw
Many commenters criticize rationalist writing for being excessively long and tedious, arguing that it obscures ideas rather than clarifying them.
“If the ideas are not complex enough to warrant a long explanation, it is a failure of the writer to be unable to produce the same information more succinctly.” – Arkhaine_kupo
Theme 2: Verbosity as a necessity for rigor
Others defend the length, saying thorough, well‑referenced analysis often requires more words and that concise writing is genuinely difficult.
“It’s hard to write a rigorous analysis of something without length. The challenge is keeping it interesting.” – iamnothere
Theme 3: Verbosity as cultural signaling / ego
Several see the style as a product of community norms, ego‑boosting, and a defensive reaction to hostile online environments.
“To prioritize concision, you need to value other people's time more than stroking your own ego. A lot of 'rationalists' are just people who … think they are smarter than other people and desperately need to prove it.” – voidhorse