" When someone makes a mistake or when someone is factually incorrect about something people accuse that person not of being wrong but of being a liar and there is a fundamental difference between the two. Being wrong is an error in fact. Being a liar is an error of character. " ~ Viva Frei

submitted by JasonCarswell from (self.quotes)

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"We live in a day and age where people often mistake being wrong for being a liar. When someone makes a mistake or when someone is factually incorrect about something people accuse that person not of being wrong but of being a liar and there is a fundamental difference between the two. Being wrong is an error in fact. Being a liar is an error of character. And what I have noticed in my limited experience is that the people who accuse someone who is wrong of being a liar are oftentimes the people who are most reluctant to apologize for being wrong because they in their own minds assume everyone else is going to call them a liar the same way they called other people a liar. I hope that's clear enough. And this philosophy contributes to a world in which no one ever wants to admit to having made a mistake for fear of that admission being weaponized as an accusation of them being a liar and so people don't admit when they make a mistake instead they just double down on their own mistake."

~ Viva Frei

Via:
/s/Justice_v_Injustice/comments/68ex/millie_weaver_update_political_prosecution_or_par/

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[–]not_mean_enough 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

Sounds like an excuse not to take responsibility for what you are saying. Most of the factually wrong info I encounter in practice is shit that can be quickly verified using the Internet. The irresponsibility it takes to spread misinformation when it is so easy to check if it's correct, or so easy to say 'I heard this interesting thing, but I don't have reliable sources' is definitely a flaw of character.

[–]JasonCarswell[S] 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

In fact, it's a reason not to call someone a liar when they make an honest mistake.

Yes, there are honest idiots fucking shit up. Doesn't make them liars, though you're correct, being an idiot is a different kind of character flaw.

More specifically on your critique, anyone can pick almost any facts from the internet to defend almost anything. Sadly the days of clarity have been shrouded in clown world hypernormalization and propaganda and counter-propaganda and anti-counter-propaganda, not to mention endless piles of information, misinformation, and disinformation.

Looking something up requires more than a search engine. It requires an overview of contextual understanding, logical analysis, with healthy skepticism.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]JasonCarswell[S] 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    LOL

    [–]not_mean_enough 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

    The problem is when you say something without any qualifiers like "I've read somewhere that..." or "Some people say..." or "According to..." etc. the general understanding of your recipients is that you are certain of the information you are passing. If someone asks me what time it is, and I answer "Eight o'clock," they will assume I know the exact time (as opposed to the situation where I say "It's gotta be around eight o'clock by now," where they will know it's an approximation and it can't be completely relied on).

    So if you are passing an information without any attempt to verify it and without any disclaimers that it's unverified, you are in misleading your recipients into thinking that they are presented with a fact, when are in fact presented with a suspicion or allegation. And what do you call that thing when someone talks in a way that makes other people believe false things? Lying.

    [–]JasonCarswell[S] 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    You call them a know-it-all, and no one can ever know it all.

    It's gotta be around 9:21:43 am EST o'clock by now.

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

    [deleted]

      [–]JasonCarswell[S] 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

      Indeed!