Gricean Maxims may sound like the hero of an epic Greek myth, but in fact, the term refers to general rules (maxims) for conversation outlined by British philosopher Paul Grice.

Important! One should avoid “flouting” or violating these rules:

• Flouting is when the speaker intentionally ignores the maxim to imply another meaning such as being evasive, sarcastic, or humorous. Hmmm this sounds like teenager speak!
• Violating is when the speaker does not follow the maxim to mislead the person listening.

1) Maxim of Quantity – Be Informative: This rule requires a delicate balance between saying everything that is important and not oversharing. 

• Question: How was the drive? I am heading that way in a few minutes.
• Correct: Not great, there was a lot of traffic.
• Violating: Fine. (lie)
• Flouting: Terrible. (does not give enough information)

2) Maxim of Quality – Be Truthful: This rule is straightforward – don’t lie. 

• Question: Are you going to the grocery store today? I need a couple of things.
• Correct: Yes I am going.
• Violating: No I am not going. (lie)
• Flouting: Sure, as your “personal assistant” I am more than happy to help you. (lie used for sarcasm)

3) Maxim of Relevance – Be Relevant: Say things pertinent to the current conversation.

• Question: Did you make dinner?
• Correct: Yes, I made pasta.
• Violating: Pasta is high in carbohydrates and doesn’t offer many nutrients. (irrelevant response that misleads the person asking the question so they avoid pasta for dinner)
• Flouting: What? I didn’t hear you. Did you say thinner? Yes I have lost a few pounds thanks for noticing. (pretending to mishear in order to change the subject)

4) Maxim of Manner – Be Clear: Be direct and concise. Avoid obscure vocabulary.

• Correct: The weather is pleasant today.
• Violating: The weather is very salubrious today. (lesser known vocabulary choice)
• Flouting: The sun is quite bright. The sky is bright blue. There aren’t many clouds. The weather is pleasant today. (not brief, possibly to implicate humor)

The four Gricean maxims are so ingrained that even preschoolers know when they are being violated. By contrast, ask most teeangers a question – and you are sure to get some flippant flouting! 

Read More:

Grandy, Richard E. and Richard Warner, “Paul Grice”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2023/entries/grice/.

Shatz, Itamar. “Grice’s Maxims of Conversation: The Principles of Effective Communication.” Effectiviology, 2024. https://effectiviology.com/principles-of-effective-communication/.

Eskritt M, Whalen J, Lee K. “Preschoolers can recognize violations of the Gricean maxims.” Br J Dev Psychol. 2008 Sep 1;26(3):435-443. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953817/.