Sublime

An inspiration engine for ideas

AllPeopleCollectionsArticlesAudioBooksFilesHighlightsImagesLinksNotesTextTweetsVideosSocial

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.

www2.csudh.edu

It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. Producing bullshit requires no such conviction.

Harry Frankfurt • On Bullshit

On Bullshit

Harry G. Frankfurt

amazon.com

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

Harry Frankfurt • On Bullshit

Our natures are, indeed, elusively insubstantial—notoriously less stable and less inherent than the natures of other things. And insofar as this is the case, sincerity itself is bullshit.

Harry G. 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

In this world we have two kinds of knowledge. One is Planck knowledge, the people who really know. They’ve paid the dues, they have the aptitude. And then we’ve got chauffeur knowledge. They’ve learned the talk. They may have a big head of hair, they may have fine temper in the voice, they’ll make a hell of an impression. But in the end, all they... See more

Shane Parrish • Two Types of Knowledge: The Max Planck/Chauffeur Test

John Folley. He says “‘Good taste' is simply to have a well formed opinion, in accordance with the realities of the Good and the True.” There are tasteful and non-tasteful choices. Taste reveals its purveyor to be a good decision-maker.

Notes on “Taste” | Are.na Editorial

A student trying to sound knowledgeable without having done the reading, a political candidate saying things because they sound good to potential voters, and a dilet- tante trying to spin an interesting story: none of these people are trying to deceive, but they are also not trying to convey facts. To Frankfurt, they are bullshitting.