3 ms·

if it's not the truth it's a lie.

• elwell 6y ago
  Communication is about shared meaning. The shared meaning here is truthful; it's not so much about the words themselves. If your hearer grew up being taught to hear "How are you?" as a meaningless introduction, and you really wanted to know how they were, you would probably say "How are you really?". Isn't that redundant? Why not just say "How are you?"? Because you are aiming for shared meaning, not accuracy in absolute language.
  • qmmmur 6y ago
    I understand nuance in communication, but its so obviously a lie when a business says they care about you, you are their most priviledged customer etc, etc. They are literally baseless claims that dress up awkward scenarios. They are lies, but people accept them as part of the process.
    • mrandish 6y ago
      > but people accept them as part of the process. But that context matters because if it's both accepted and expected to the extent no one would make any material decision based on it, then there's no material intent to deceive, much less expected or actual harm. I do agree that such meaningless platitudes are better left unsaid as they's just a waste of time.
• happytoexplain 6y ago
  This is an accurate portrayal of formal logic, but an inaccurate portrayal of language.