[lit-ideas] Re: On being called a liar by John
- From: wokshevs@xxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:51:39 -0230
I did think that sooner or later interlocutors would recognize that the primary
sources of disagreement between them needing to be addressed are not at all
political but rather epistemological. Makes you wonder whether it may well be
imperative to require political rulers (and commentators) to undergo an
education in philosophy. This month's front cover of Time magazine promises a
story corroborating the obligatory status of that maxim, I'm sure.
Walter O.
MUN
Quoting Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> Okay, John, here is a translation for you:
>
>
>
> Here is what I wrote,
>
> Another thing about Obama's inexperience. I don't think he knows he's got
> it. He comes across as knowing how to do everything. He advises others. He
> doesn't get advice. If he's elected don't expect him to spend much time
> listening to Joe Biden -- in my opinion.
>
>
>
> Translation: In regard to Obama's inexperience. I don't THINK he knows
> he's got it. [this is my opinion. "I don't' think so" is in common
> parlance a synonym for "it is my opinion that." From what I've seen, I
> don't THINK he knows he is as inexperienced as he really is.
>
>
>
> Moving ahead, I wrote "He comes across as" [obviously I am continuing my
> opinion here: He comes across TO ME as] knowing how to do everything. [I
> intend the next sentence as an explanation of the former sentence:] He
> advises others. He doesn't get advice.
>
>
>
> And then lastly I say. "If he's elected don't expect him to spend much time
> listening to Joe Biden - in my opinion."
>
>
>
> So you see that I have offered an opinion. Nothing in what I wrote was
> intended by me to be taking as absolute fact. I am not a liar. And I would
> be excused by any independent source of suspecting that you have serious
> mental or emotional problems for saying that I am.
>
>
>
> Or
>
>
>
> You aren't familiar with Dialogue. Dialogue is a form of communication in
> which people of good will talk back and forth clarifying misunderstandings
> by saying such things as "do you mean this," and "I take you to mean this,
> when you say X. Is that what you meant?"
>
>
>
> Language is NOT self-authenticating. Try however one will be make his
> statements unambiguous, and I suspect I try harder than most, he will not
> always succeed. For someone to take one of these ambiguous statement,
> perhaps a statement the author didn't realize was ambiguous and call the
> author a liar because the reader believes that his is the only
> interpretation possible, is - to be as generous as possible - unfortunate.
>
>
>
> Lawrence
>
>
>
>
>
> Lawrence,
>
>
>
> This is simply an outright lie. Which candidate was it, after all, who
> actually met with a top team of economic and business leaders to consider
> the nation's economic problems, including two former top advisors to the
> Bush administration and, by the way knows enough economics (most
> Harvard-trained lawyers do) to understand what they were saying? His name
> did not begin with M.
>
>
>
>
>
> From: John McCreery
> Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 7:27 PM
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Another perspective on VP selections
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 15, 2008 at 10:14 AM, Lawrence Helm
> <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Are you sure you want to call me a liar John? I said that in my opinion he
> came across in a certain way. How can voicing my opinion be an "outright
> lie"?
>
>
>
> Lawrence,
>
>
>
> You said, "He advises others. He doesn't get advice." That is an outright
> lie. You repeated it. What does that make you?
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> John McCreery
> The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
> Tel. +81-45-314-9324
> http://www.wordworks.jp/
>
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> 7:16 AM
>
>
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