Final answer:
Vagueness is problematic when it causes confusion, misinterpretation, or fails to meet the required precision in contexts such as legal, academic, or artistic performance. Clear word choice and avoiding vague pronoun references are crucial to effective communication. Context determines the acceptable level of vagueness or specificity needed in situations like legal judgments or financial management.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vagueness becomes a problem when it leads to misunderstanding, lack of clarity in communication, or fails to meet the required level of specificity in a given context. For instance, in legal or academic settings, high precision is essential because vague language can lead to misinterpretation and can have serious consequences. Similarly, word choice plays a crucial role in conveying clear and precise meaning; using words incorrectly due to unfamiliarity can radically change intended ideas and lead to confusion. In a different vein, directors and actors are keen on specificity as it contributes to the richness of a performance—the choices an actor makes about which prop to interact with can deeply influence the interpretation of the scene and the character's motivations.
Understanding how to match the specificity level to the context can also be relevant in everyday life, such as in managing money. While in some areas, like gambling, a certain level of probability is acceptable, in others, such as a court of law, a much higher standard is expected. In personal finance, people generally do not require exact calculations down to the penny for most expenses, understanding the natural variability and being forgiving of precision. This flexibility illustrates how context guides our expectations of vagueness versus specificity.
To reduce vagueness and improve clarity, one should also avoid problems with pronoun reference; pronouns like 'this', 'that’, 'which', and 'it' should not refer to vague or unclear antecedents. Using definite descriptions and predicates can help remove ambiguity and vagueness, improving communication effectiveness.