What does it mean when people interject "happen to" between "I" and "think" or "believe"?
I think it averts the knee-jerk tendency to disagree with any unqualified statement. Instead, it invites listeners to agree. Yes, I believe that too. Who wouldn't?!
1 comment:
I happen to think that it's commonly used when disagreeing with someone else, but, yes, to soften the impact. I have no research on which to base my thought.
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