Summary: Most messages are hype or drama. But sometimes, it's just data—and pretending otherwise leads to nonsense. Let's unpack why treating a JSON error response like a narrative is a waste of time, and why knowing the difference between a message and a story matters more in marketing, coding, and business than most people admit.
What You're Dealing With Isn't a Story
A JSON error response like this:
{
"error": {
"code": "INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS",
"message": "Your account does not have enough balance."
}
}
…is not, and never will be, a story. It’s a one-line data object. It’s machine-to-human communication with no plot, no characters, no arc. It’s a blunt force message: "You don't have money—do something about it." Treating this kind of message as a piece of literature or narrative is like trying to turn a parking ticket into Shakespeare. Why do some professionals still try to “extract a story” from something that’s clearly functional and transactional?
Mistaking Data for Drama Wastes Time
Not everything is content. Not everything should be spun. Not every message is ambiguous or open to interpretation. Chriss Voss would call this a place to let silence do its job. What does the silence say here? It says: accept reality. There's no angle. No subplot. Just insufficient balance.
Trying to find a "deeper meaning" or narrative in a simple error response is a distraction, and it costs brains and budgets. Coders waste time inventing flowcharts for logic that doesn't need elaboration. Marketers clutter dashboards chasing emotional arcs where there are only transactions. Leaders add fluff to briefings that need focus. How does this serve the end user or the business?
Why This Matters for Marketers, Developers, and Decision-Makers
Precision creates trust. Simple, clean code, just like clear marketing or policy talk, builds credibility. This returns to Cialdini’s principle of authority through clarity—people trust professionals who can tell the difference between fluff and fact. When you respect the user experience and don't fake substance where there is none, you're operating with professional integrity.
Let’s borrow a tactic from Voss again: mirror the moment. You see “Your account does not have enough balance”? Mirror it: “Not enough in the account?” That kind of question opens a door. It invites action. But it doesn’t fix what isn’t broken. Don’t try to turn an ingredient list into a cookbook.
What Can Be Done Instead?
If the JSON message doesn’t tell a story, but you still need to explain something to a user or stakeholder, don’t tell a new story—draw the line between consequence and correction. Don’t ask, “What story can we extract?”—ask, “What decision does this trigger?” or “What emotion might this cause in the user?” That’s where Blair Warren comes in: confirm the user’s frustration, acknowledge the friction, but don’t dramatize something that isn’t dramatic. The message should remain blunt, but the reaction to it can be navigated with empathy.
Your account’s out of balance? That might tap into fear. It might confirm a suspicion that the system eats funds. Or it might just be a mistake. In any case, you address the reaction—not by pretending there’s a story in the message, but by communicating that you understand how that message might land.
A Practical Summary — Through the I.E.E.O. Lens
- Interrupt: A clear error message does this on its own. There’s nothing vague about “INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS.”
- Engage: Ask open-ended questions. “What were you expecting to happen at this step?” or “What would you need to continue?”
- Educate: Walk back the steps. “When your balance is low, these are the triggers that will halt processing.”
- Offer: Fixes, credits, next steps. This is where the narrative arc lives—not in the error message, but in the resolution path.
Conclusion: Talk Straight. Differentiate Signal from Noise.
Nobody wins when we treat plain communication as abstract poetry. JSON error messages aren’t novels, and business conversations are not performance art. Spend energy where energy is needed: addressing real feelings and real decisions. That’s where traction lives. That’s where persuasion builds. And that’s how real professionals separate attention-getting hype from action-driving value.
Ask yourself: are you writing to express understanding, or are you writing to perform? The second one may get applause—but the first one fixes problems.
#PrecisionMatters #NoFluff #StraightTalkMarketing #UXMistakes #JSONErrors #ProfessionalIntegrity #ChrisVossTactics #IEEOMarketing #DataWithoutDrama
Featured Image courtesy of Unsplash and Joshua Hoehne (vCO1Frox2j4)