Communicating a message using absolute terms leaves a stronger impression than if relative terms are used, but also makes the message more susceptible to failing under the scrutiny of fact-checkers. Words like “all”, “always”, and “every” usually trump words like “usually”, “most”, and “often”, as far as a message’s penetrating potential is concerned. You’ll note that the prevalence of relative terms used to communicate the message of this particular post may contribute to its not being an especially memorable entry.
In an attempt to create a happy balance between leaving a strong impression and being immune to fact-checker scrutiny, someone amended an absolute term, with the result “almost always”. Other excursions into this strategy yielded such gems as “nearly all” and “most every”, the latter being a blatant fusion of the absolute and relative camps. While still used often, these shadowy, reality-re-framing concoctions of wordsmith trickery have fallen short of their high aspirations and, in practice, are no better at leaving a strong impression than is a purely relative term.
Both categories of words are as capable of being misused as of being used legitimately. Most people who season their messages with absolute or relative terms are aware, at the time of use, of the legitimacy or illegitimacy of the spice. The more interesting cases are where salt is passed off as sugar. Someone who favors the relatives may be trying to appeal to a wider audience, or may be insecure about their knowledge and hoping to avoid being called out. Alternately, the misuse of absolutes might be an attempt by the message-giver to use the advantage of strong impression to win the audience over before fact-checkers have a chance to prove them wrong.
Save for the hybrid exceptions previously mentioned, which are really a separate sort of deal, one thing you’ll rarely see is a message with both absolute and relative terms scattered throughout. In such cases, the content of the message risks being convoluted and is overshadowed by the impression that the message-giver is too complicated or conflicted, which confuses and annoys many people. Either drink vodka or visit with extended family, but not both at the same time.