On Bullshit
by Harry G. Frankfurt
This book opens with:
One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. 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, nor attracted much sustained inquiry.
This short (67 pages) and small (6" x 4") book then proceeds to establish a theoretical and philosophical framework from which to explore the world of BS.
Much of the book examines why bullshitting is NOT the same thing as lying. Simplistically the premise is that liars do have some kind of relationship with the truth since “to invent a lie at all, he must think he knows what is true and in order to invent an effective lie, he must design his falsehood under the guidance of that truth.”
For the bullshitter “his eye is not on the facts at all”. If you are not concerned with what is correct or being correct then what is the bullshitter concerned with? Frankfurt proposes “sincerity” has arisen in place of “correctness”. “Rather than seeking primarily to arrive at accurate representations of a common world, the individual turns toward trying to provide honest representations of himself”.
Yeah that seems to ring true with me lately when listening to various streams of BS the generators seem sooo sincere about it. “Facts? What facts? This is what I believe man. This is what I really believe.”
I’m not speaking about the current state of public discourse in the US (and other parts of the world) I’m talking about technical discussions about real things that work in a real way. These things don’t care what you feel should be happening and yet lately I’ve listened to some phantasmagoric explanation of purely technical situations.
This mindset remains a mystery to me but the notion that these BS emitters simply have no concern about this technical situation at all seems to make sense. Put aside the questions of how they got this way, and what’s their motive because that doesn’t seem to matter. They’re not trying to convince you of anything - why you’re wrong or why they are right - they simply must expound. Must get out their story,
Unfortunately the book does not provide any how-to, ways and means to deal with the BS’er. Lately all I can muster in the face of these expositions is staring at them slack jawed. Realizing they are not really engaged in a real conversation about real things but only meaning to convey their sincerest feelings about what should be. Knowing there will be no real communication is a real time saver, you don’t have to try very hard to convince them of anything because they are not in receiving mode, only transmitting.
A nice quick read If nothing else.