Quit Bullshitting
Review / Summary of Harry G. Frankfurt's "On Bullshit"
Harry G. Frankfurt's 1986 essay titled "On Bullshit" is a much needed treatise on rhetorical "bullshit", analysing questions like what is "bullshit", why do we see it often and how is it affecting us.
In this essay, Frankfurt tries to dissect the meaning and the usage of the word "bullshit" from the context of modern rhetorics and language.
After understanding what "bullshit" means, Frankfurt discusses the ethical concerns of "bullshitting".
Overall, a very interesting read. Check it out (for free) here.
Here is a "summary" of what I could make out from the essay:
"Bullshitting" is not "lying"; it is closer to "bluffing" or "faking".
"Bullshit" doesn't have to be false, but it is misrepresentation of one's state of mind and affairs.
Bullshitting is pure intellectual neglect, paralysis of thought.
A bullshitter doesn't even try to make him/herself coherent, or examine the accuracy of his/her words or deeds.
Bullshitting is the opposite of craftsmanship. The latter requires effort and emphasises on unconditional perfection. But bullshitting is effortless. People prefer that because they can "get away with it".
A liar has to know the "truth" in order to tell a lie against it. But the bullshitter doesn't have to concern himself with either the truth or the falsity of a statement. And this makes bullshitting a more dangerous enemy of truth than lies.
The moment you stop caring about accuracy and truth, but if the words work or not in the moment, you're bullshitting.
I also talked about this on one of my livestreams:
So call out on bullshit that you see all over the world, and quit bullshitting yourself.
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