4 ms·

I second this. Why do writers use hyperbole to make points when their hyperbole is not an exaggeration, but rather just false? It makes me as a reader not trust

• rrss 7y ago
  I don't think there is any objective metric for whether Page and Brin where the last "truly happy" people, so I'm not sure what it means for that subjective statement to be just false. If Carr thinks they might have been because he believes the "idealism and confidence" that they had is not possible any more, then maybe they were, according to Carr's definition.
• kev009 7y ago
  Writing is a tool. Think of this article like a runway, and you the reader as an airplane trying to take off. Hyperbole can and did introduce a bit of turbulence to induce lift in your mind to get you out of follower mode and thinking critically whether you agree or disagree with the author. To complete the metaphor achieving lift off and thinking your own thoughts on the topic. It's not dishonest because anybody can clearly reason the statement is tautologically false, there are no tricks like numbers or misleading statistics or anything explicitly duplicitous and dishonest. You may dislike that the author effectively caused you to do this, thinking for yourself is dark and scary versus gently pulling you along for the ride but then would you have even read or commented? All I see is a skilled writer ruminating on an interesting topic. The comments on this thread already greatly outweigh the length of the piece, it's a pretty nice piece of writing.