Comments on: Telling the Truth—A Technical Guide in Three Parts http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:50:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Colin Elliott http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-375 Colin Elliott Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:58:59 +0000 http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-375 Great article! I think this is an interesting idea - where one can tell non-truths but not lies. It means we need to reevaluate our opposites - lying and truth are not opposed as much as truth and untruth. What then would be the opposite of "lies"? Great article! I think this is an interesting idea - where one can tell non-truths but not lies. It means we need to reevaluate our opposites - lying and truth are not opposed as much as truth and untruth. What then would be the opposite of “lies”?

]]> By: Jew http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-376 Jew Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:22:29 +0000 http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-376 Miscommunication can arise when the listener doesn't understand the jargon. If I said I bid on a Frisbee, you might assume I was trying to buy it on eBay, but you'd be wrong. (Read <a href="http://www.ultimatehandbook.com/Webpages/Others/glossary.html" rel="nofollow">Ultimate Frisbee jargon</a> and be enlightened.) Miscommunication can arise when the listener doesn’t understand the jargon. If I said I bid on a Frisbee, you might assume I was trying to buy it on eBay, but you’d be wrong. (Read Ultimate Frisbee jargon and be enlightened.)

]]> By: thainamu http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-378 thainamu Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:50:40 +0000 http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-378 Colin, the word truth includes a number of meanings, but if we were to make opposites we might do something like fact:untruth and truth:lies. The main component of meaning in the word 'lie' is the speaker's motive to deceive. Which is why it is stupid and incorrect of people to say things like "We were told all these lies about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq." You could only say that if the speaker of those words actually <i>intended</i> to deceive. If not, a better thing to say would be something like "Those idiots didn't have a clue what they were talking about when they said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq." Colin, the word truth includes a number of meanings, but if we were to make opposites we might do something like fact:untruth and truth:lies. The main component of meaning in the word ‘lie’ is the speaker’s motive to deceive.

Which is why it is stupid and incorrect of people to say things like “We were told all these lies about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.” You could only say that if the speaker of those words actually intended to deceive. If not, a better thing to say would be something like “Those idiots didn’t have a clue what they were talking about when they said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”

]]> By: thainamu http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-379 thainamu Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:14:52 +0000 http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-379 Jew, I'm enlightened. Do you know all those words? Jargon (technical language relating to a profession or specific area) is just one kind of specialty language that outsider's often misunderstand. Slang is another example. And here are also languages with mechanisms for speaking in a non-standard way so that evil spirits won't be able to understand. I didn't even mention idioms, which is another area where the meaning of the individual words doesn't equal the meaning of the whole phrase so misunderstandings can occur. Jew, I’m enlightened. Do you know all those words?

Jargon (technical language relating to a profession or specific area) is just one kind of specialty language that outsider’s often misunderstand. Slang is another example. And here are also languages with mechanisms for speaking in a non-standard way so that evil spirits won’t be able to understand.

I didn’t even mention idioms, which is another area where the meaning of the individual words doesn’t equal the meaning of the whole phrase so misunderstandings can occur.

]]> By: Atanamis http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-380 Atanamis Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:31:29 +0000 http://zealfortruth.org/2007/07/in-progress-telling-the-truth%e2%80%94a-technical-guide-in-three-parts/#comment-380 <blockquote>What then would be the opposite of “lies”?</blockquote> Honesty. An honest answer is what the speaker believes to be accurate, and may have little to do with whether the response is true or false.

What then would be the opposite of “lies”?

Honesty. An honest answer is what the speaker believes to be accurate, and may have little to do with whether the response is true or false.

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