by talesin 10 Replies latest social current
Which is worse -- Lying or Bull$h*t?
Famed Professor Harry Frankfurt, posed this question to Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's The Daily Show last week. He was hawking his new book, "On Bull$h*t", and I found him both provocative and entertaining.
Here's a brief interview, in which the Prof explains the difference between the two:
What do you think?
t
Being a university student, bullshit is much more annoying because it is so prevalent. Especially if your at mine, the PC bullshit capital of North America.
I think the good professor is splitting hairs on definition.
Interesting.
I'll say lying is worse, simply because it is a deliberate attempt to influence and deceive. It may work and do it's damage, before the facts become evident, if ever.
BS, is sometimes a little easier to see, therefore easier to be on guard.
They are both bad...just in different ways.
rabbit
I cant lie-- I am full of bullSH*T
~Hill
My vote goes to 'lying.' I hear bull-shit every morning at the local coffee shops in my home town. There's this one individual that tells such stories that I told him in the presence of others that he should be a writer for Disney productions. The fellows just laugh about it.
Why do some people like to shoot the bull? For one, to be a part of the discussion or to be the center of attention.
Now, take the case of my late older brother, he was an out right liar! He was a con-man. Like the BShitter he too craved attention. A person of this nature when he tells you something, there's no questions whether he's telling the truth or not, whereas, the crap-shooter their words are ????able. Mixing lies with truths in story telling is the order of the day.
This is my short version, more bull later.
Golf
Interesting. I actually like what the professor puts across about the bull$h*tter actually believing his/her own lies. This reminded me of the WT .... any thoughts on that?
lol @ t_c
I thought that was supposed to be Carleton in Ottawa??? LMAO!
tal
We don't need a professor to tell us what bullshit is. Most of us were mired in it for so long that we still have a hard time getting rid of the smell.
If I had to define Bull shit and lying I would say that
Lying is the opposite of honesty and
Bull shit is the opposite of integrity.
It's hard to say which one is worse because lies aren't usually used as much as bull shit but they are more deliberate. Bull shit just seems to come naturally for some people.
TimB
Lying seems of a more serious nature than bs. Although, for some people, bs is a stream that they produce on a continuous basis for themselves and for others. It's a way of life. It makes they lives easier for themselves. It helps them to attain a certain level. But, unless they are really, really good at it, they don't get that high, because others can tell, especially other bullshitters and liars. Bsing works better if it is used only at strategic moments. Used in this way, it can be a good social lubricant, like booze, or jokes.
S
