I used to feel the exact same way about Norton until I tried their A/V program on a trial with the last computer I bought and the difference between their new version, and previous versions is beyond night and day. I do not notice any slow downs at all using Norton now.
"Sort of" is harmless "Sort of". Is a filler. But sometimes, "sort of" means everything. Like after "I love you" or "You're going to live" or "It's a boy".