Why bother with plausible deniability?

MIT philosopher Sam Berstler examines why plausible deniability works even when the intent behind a statement is obvious to everyone. Her paper introduces the concept of 'two-tracking norms,' where communication splits into an official polite track and an informal adversarial one, allowing people to signal meaning without explicit accountability. Drawing on sociologist Erving Goffman's work on performative social interaction, Berstler argues that deniability is a byproduct of social practices like open secrets and two-tracking, not just a linguistic trick. Rather than advocating for radical transparency, she suggests developing rhetorical skill to respond strategically within these norms.