We’d be better off if we removed the word “obviously” from our day-to-day language.
Our world is complex. Conclusions and insights are, more often than not, non-obvious.
Using “obviously” in our responses implies that we know better than others and that we hold the truth. It removes objectivity from discussions. It eliminates the possibility that we may be wrong.
The best people I’ve worked with were always willing to see a problem from a different angle. They held opinions loosely. They knew that at any moment, and in any discussion, they could be wrong.
They didn’t use “obviously”.
On the contrary, they often introduced a point with, “I could be wrong, but how about this idea…”
“Obviously” risks alienation.
“I could we wrong…” leads to open, honest, and truth-seeking discussion.