For me, as well as for many people, the automatic prefacing phrase to otherwise-bold declarative statements includes would as in:
I would believe…
I would advise…
I would like to own…
I would hope…
Why do we just not go ahead and decisively and confidently put it out there as I believe, I advise, I want, I hope? Why do we deem it necessary to appear timid about making a solid statement? Do we fear some consequence? Are we hesitant? Are we weak? Do we lack confidence?
I often hear this practice used in authoritative statements—by doctors and lawyers, even by government officials. It’s a weakness used in a way to invoke strength, it seems.
In the usage of such statements are we attempting to suspend our language between a clear declarative statement and an interrogative? Can we not commit? Perhaps unmistakeably declarative statements are somehow politically incorrect? Phooey on this.
If I would do [something] am I doing it?… or am I faltering to do that something?
I beg, if you would advise me to walk the dog, why do you not just go ahead and advise me to walk the dog?
Does I would advise you to ignore me EQUATE WITH I do advise you to ignore me OR, MORE SIMPLY, I advise you…?
In some contexts of this widely accepted practice (at least with the English language), I relate it to the imagery of a basketball player performing a fadeaway shot. As someone who is knowledgeable about this sport (me not so much) [would] will explain, the player—instead of jumping straight up from under the rim to shoot—jumps up and away from the rim (falls backward). And this seems to me to be what we do with the would phrases. These would phrases are, hence, fadeaway statements. They might also be described as passive-aggressive, I suppose.
Although I’m aware of my natural tendency to engage in the practice of some fadeaway statements, I sometimes find it difficult not to participate. And after participating, I reprove myself for making such feckless utterances.
The Macedonian from Canada is onto something there. A French King I forget which, said a long time ago. "If you cannot dissimulate you cannot rule." Perhaps feigning by using "I would" gives one an out by being appearing polite. Less straight forward.
My gut hunch is that such filler words as “would”, “very”, and “hasten to think”, etc, are part of the likely Victorian art of dissembling during prosaic conversation ….