An existential threat to comprehension

"... for here, as in the legal and medical professions the more impenetrable a man's speech, the higher the esteem in which he is held. Nothing would be more injurious to our reputation in this house, than for us to speak intelligibly."

Neal Stephenson, The System of the World

Several of the candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination have used the phrase "existential threat" in reference to climate change. As the word existential has to do with existence, it might seem appropriate in this context, yet it is mainly a philosophical term and is over the heads of most Americans, and I would assume most of the presidential candidates. Were I a reporter covering the campaign I would love to ask any of them what existential means, preferably while a camera is running.

Everyone understands the word threat, but what is an existential threat? Perhaps those lines spoken by a character in the Neal Stephenson novel The System of the World explain why this word is used as much as it is. It makes the speaker sound smart. The "more impenetrable a man's speech, the higher the esteem in which he is held."

Lawyers write in legalese partly to be more precise but also partly because lawyers will be required to interpret it.

For centuries Mass was conducted in Latin even though hardly any worshippers understood Latin. Until the Reformation, Bibles too were in Latin. Only the educated elite knew what was being said.

One reason for the lingo found in virtually every profession is that it separates those on the inside from those on the outside. The same is true of slang.

Because insurance agents, brokers, bankers, doctors and such speak in words we don't understand we tend to believe they are smarter, and thus trustworthy. That may, in fact, be true. But maybe not. If they were really smart they would be able to speak so that we can understand them.