"Was it insightful?"

[YouCantCallMeBetty]

I was at a conference last week. Work colleague asked today "how was your conference, was it insightful?"

Am i crazy in thinking this isn't a correct use of the word? I'm seeing it more and more as people describe courses, conferences, academic papers etc as insightful.

Surely the conference will have facilitated me becoming more insightful but the conference itself, being inanimate, cannot possess insight?

No doubt an incoming email thus "I'm reaching out for an interface with yourself to discuss your insightful conference"

Reaching out 🤢

But I think you are right that something inanimate cannot be insightful.

Something inanimate can be insightful.

Cambridge Dictionary

insightful adjective approving

showing a clear and usually original understanding of a complicated problem or situation:

She has written an insightful account of the modern art world.

He was, of course, very funny and insightful.

This is a very thoughtful, insightful analysis.

She said something I thought was very insightful.

This may be the most insightful comment the president has ever made.

An account, a person, an analysis, something someone said, and a comment. Only one is 'animate'.

I'm not sure. I think you could validly talk about an insightful discussion or raise an insightful point. However I tend to agree about conference. Was the whole of the conference insightful?

These are good points. I'd agree with all. Maybe I didn't articulate it well. I think analysis and comments and discussions can all be insightful because they are generated by people who are animate. A conference is just a noun; a physical and practical happening. The speakers at the conference may give insightful presentations but I don't think the conference itself, as a whole, can be insightful.

@YouCantCallMeBetty

A conference is just a noun; a physical and practical happening. The speakers at the conference may give insightful presentations but I don't think the conference itself, as a whole, can be insightful.

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