4 ms·

"Stuart: Oooh Sheldon, I'm afraid you couldn't be more wrong. Sheldon: More wrong? Wrong is an absolute state and not subject to gradation. Stuart: Of course

"Stuart: Oooh Sheldon, I'm afraid you couldn't be more wrong. Sheldon: More wrong? Wrong is an absolute state and not subject to gradation. Stuart: Of course it is. It is a little wrong to say a tomato is a vegetable, it is very wrong to say it is a suspension bridge."

Outdoorsman 11y ago
Can't resist commenting... I'm very forgiving by nature.. I often nod when people are speaking to me...not because I realize they're making a point I agree with...rather it's to keep from obstructing the point they're trying to make.. Point: Don't let a small human mistake distract you from an opportunity to learn something...
jmadsen 11y ago
A: He's the biggest half-wit I've ever known. B: Actually, all halves are exactly half. You can't have a "bigger half-wit"
logicalDuck 11y ago
Wrong is a binary state, you're wrong or not, both statements are equally wrong. What you're looking for is the term "Farther from the truth" Saying a tomato is a vegetable is closer to the truth (or closer to correct) than to say it is a suspension bridge. However both are completely and unequivocally wrong as wrong is a binary state.
- coldtea 11y ago
  Unfortunately, you're wrong. "Wrong" is a binary state only in abstract Logic. When it comes to human languages the use of such words in a comparative manner is a common and accepted occurrence, from ancient times even. It's also a phenomenon (along with numerous others mistakenly thought as "wrong") that has been heavily studied by linguists and considered an example of a valid use of language as it evolves (as opposed to a syntactical or spelling error that comes from ignorance or from a lapse of concentration).
  - logicalDuck 11y ago
    Do you have any references or studies that you could point me to? I'd love to read about the studies that have been done. Logic vs language is a really interesting topic since it basically means the integration of your expert skill set (how much you use logic and logical constructs) will inform your understanding of language. I wonder if that definition of wrong that linguists have found will change if our society shifts more towards a logic based outlook, or more jobs that work with binary state.

Outdoorsman 11y ago

Can't resist commenting... I'm very forgiving by nature.. I often nod when people are speaking to me...not because I realize they're making a point I agree with...rather it's to keep from obstructing the point they're trying to make.. Point: Don't let a small human mistake distract you from an opportunity to learn something...

jmadsen 11y ago

A: He's the biggest half-wit I've ever known. B: Actually, all halves are exactly half. You can't have a "bigger half-wit"

logicalDuck 11y ago

Wrong is a binary state, you're wrong or not, both statements are equally wrong. What you're looking for is the term "Farther from the truth" Saying a tomato is a vegetable is closer to the truth (or closer to correct) than to say it is a suspension bridge. However both are completely and unequivocally wrong as wrong is a binary state.

coldtea 11y ago
Unfortunately, you're wrong. "Wrong" is a binary state only in abstract Logic. When it comes to human languages the use of such words in a comparative manner is a common and accepted occurrence, from ancient times even. It's also a phenomenon (along with numerous others mistakenly thought as "wrong") that has been heavily studied by linguists and considered an example of a valid use of language as it evolves (as opposed to a syntactical or spelling error that comes from ignorance or from a lapse of concentration).
- logicalDuck 11y ago
  Do you have any references or studies that you could point me to? I'd love to read about the studies that have been done. Logic vs language is a really interesting topic since it basically means the integration of your expert skill set (how much you use logic and logical constructs) will inform your understanding of language. I wonder if that definition of wrong that linguists have found will change if our society shifts more towards a logic based outlook, or more jobs that work with binary state.