“One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people are rather confident of their ability to recognize bullshit and to avoid being taken in by it. So the phenomenon has not aroused much deliberate concern, or attracted much sustained inquiry. In consequence, we have no clear understanding of what bullshit is, why there is so much of it, or what functions it serves.”
-Harry G. Frankfurt
About a month ago, I read On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt. It was a very insightful piece about the nature and use of BS in today’s society. Although I understood the difference between BSing and lying, I would often consider them to be somewhat interchangeable. This book makes the difference very clear: “It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. Producing bullshit requires no such conviction.”
A lie is explicit deception. You know what is true and you’re stating something else. BS, on the other hand, doesn’t concern itself with what’s true. One just says whatever comes to mind regardless of if it’s true or not. Essentially, a BSer’s intent may not be to deceive, but a liar’s is.
Given my background, I would say I’m pretty well versed in the art of BS. How are your BS skills? Either when it comes to dishing out steaming piles of it or detecting the stench? Hopefully I’ll have time to discuss why BS pisses me off…
So would I be very cheeky if I think overly zealous religious nuts subscribe to a doctrine of bullshit? :D
I can usually detect BS pretty well, it tends to go hand in hand with absolute conviction in the face of no evidence/proof along with a massive ego which refuses to acknowledge anything contray to what the BSer is spewing out.
I am also quite well versed in bull shit slinging.
You can say I have a B.S. in BS. I believe we were educated at the same Haber Institute of Bullshitting.
Although I prefer to call my skill persuasion or rhetoric, I can sling and detect it pretty well. Mind you, I don’t hate it. I accept that 75% of our adult lives are going to be spent on bullshit.
Darwin – I will agree with you that “overly zealous religious nuts” subscribe to a doctrine of bullshit. I’ve heard some STRANGE theories, but hey, people believe what they want… I think you’ve described blatant BS. Subtle BS is the way to go… as Dom said, maybe subtle BS can be called rhetoric…
Dom – A B.S. in BS, absolutely! We were very well educated! I can’t say I hate it, but I’m certainly not a fan. I suppose it’s a necessary evil and just part of our business. As to accepting that 75% of our adult lives will be spent on it…I REALLY hope not!!!