On Bullshit
The document discusses the nature and prevalence of bullshit, distinguishing it from lying and exploring its connection to skepticism and the pursuit of personal sincerity.
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On Bullshit
It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. Producing bullshit requires no such conviction.
Harry Frankfurt • On Bullshit
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.
Harry Frankfurt • On Bullshit
The point of these lines is clear. In the old days, craftsmen did not cut corners. They worked carefully, and they took care with every aspect of their work. Every part of the product was considered, and each was designed and made to be exactly as it should be. These craftsmen did not relax their thoughtful self-discipline even with respect to feat... See more
Harry Frankfurt • On Bullshit
Thoughtful attention to detail requires discipline and objectivity. It entails accepting standards and limitations that forbid the indulgence of impulse or whim. It is this selflessness that, in connection with bullshit, strikes us as inapposite. But in fact it is not out of the question at all. The realms of advertising and of public relations, an
... See moreHarry Frankfurt • On Bullshit
For the bullshitter, however, all these bets are off: he is neither on the side of the true nor on the side of the false. His eye is not on the facts at all, as the eyes of the honest man and of the liar are, except insofar as they may be pertinent to his interest in getting away with what he says. He does not care whether the things he says descri
... See moreHarry Frankfurt • On Bullshit
Most people are rather confident of their ability to recognize bullshit and to avoid being taken in by it