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Out of context: Reply #72982

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  • Nairn0

    One of my best friends from university had a teacher who at school was teaching... I dunno, something, whatever - it doesn't matter ...but he had one of the best pieces of advice I've ever heard, and have held onto as a tertiary or quaternary party to it.

    Ask yourself, simply, whenever you encounter any mote of information from another human being or source, media or otherwise:

    "Why is this bastard lying to me?".

    Assume an offensive. Assume a narrative or a projection. Perhaps assume that they've not checked their sources and are perhaps simply regurgitating.. 'For Reasons'.

    Nairn 0Permalink
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    • lol at me after 25 years, I finally googled it–apparently it's a standard Journo trope: https://www.google.c…Nairn
    • Downvote. Tried this with my first wife
      ********
    • And did'nt work nb?OBBTKN
    • nb - trick is to ask it mentally, internally, please undo your downvote :)Nairn
    • why is this bastard not lying to me ...works good too,...neverscared
    • I'm not sure it does.

      hehe      Nairn
    • can i undo that 'hehe', it makes me sound like more of a twat than usual, lol.

      Can we delete that 'lol', it makes me sound like more of a twat than usual, haha      Nairn
    • your are not lying ... again...neverscared
    • Can you imagine how paranoid and persecuted this would make a person feel constantly?scarabin
    • I tend to just keep certain kinds of info in a sort of “confirmation limbo” by default until proven one way or anotherscarabin
    • 99% of information we consume has already been through several rounds of chinese whispers. Eg newspapers:shapesalad
    • stuff happens somewhere > local reporters talk to some witnesses > files report to reuters > big news paper writer rewrites it > editor adjusts it > you read itshapesalad
    • unless it happens live before you ears and eyes, you are relying on secondary sources of evidence.shapesalad
    • then your mate reads it, and tells you it, with some additional 'chinese whisper' processing.shapesalad
    • Right, which keeps things in limbo most of the time, which is fine.Assuming people are intentionally lying to you at all times about everything seems exhaustingscarabin
    • Context is a handy concept, for you absolutists out there.Nairn
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