Explanation
Specificity can make a claim vivid, but vividness is not credibility. The stronger the promised change, the greater the burden placed on mechanism, evidence and source authority.
The threshold is contextual. A familiar low-risk offer may require little explanation; a consequential institutional claim may require documented proof, careful limits and explicit uncertainty.
Practical implications
- Match the strength of proof to the strength and consequence of the promise.
- Explain why the result should occur, not only that it has occurred before.
- Use restraint as evidence of judgement rather than weakening every claim with vagueness.
Examples
- A professional service explains its method, relevant experience and boundaries instead of promising certainty.
- A product claim is supported by a demonstration that resembles the buyer's actual operating conditions.
Limitations
- No amount of proof removes all uncertainty from a future outcome.
- Authority can support a claim but must not replace evidence relevant to the claim itself.
Application question
What would a careful sceptic need to see before granting permission to believe this promise?
Citation
Paul Ajeh Magaji, “The Credible Promise Threshold,” The Rhetoric Agency Doctrine Library, version 1.0. Accessed at http://localhost:3000/doctrines/credible-promise-threshold.