Scott Smialkowski
asked
Will Once:
I came across a blog with a discussion you were having with people about the god paradox. I must say that your ability to logical assess is quite impressive. I often get in arguments with people because people say things but mean something else. People try to take different meanings often from my words. Do you have this problem? Is being very "logical" also mean being very "literal."
Will Once
Good question! I think there is something about precision in argument and in the use of language. We need to know the difference between something that I know for certain, something that I believe, something that I suspect and so on.
That's why you'll hear me say things like "nearly always" rather than "always" or that something is "likely" rather than "certain". I rarely use an absolute like "always" or "never".
So I do think there is a connection between being logical and being precise with language. Unless we are being writerly and playing with ambiguity, every word that we use should mean exactly what we want it to mean.
But it is very hard to know what someone else means. We can't climb inside their head and see the world from their point of view. Because of that I don't tend to quibble with people's emotions or meanings. There is no way that I can know someone else's feelings or emotions better than they do.
Does that help?
That's why you'll hear me say things like "nearly always" rather than "always" or that something is "likely" rather than "certain". I rarely use an absolute like "always" or "never".
So I do think there is a connection between being logical and being precise with language. Unless we are being writerly and playing with ambiguity, every word that we use should mean exactly what we want it to mean.
But it is very hard to know what someone else means. We can't climb inside their head and see the world from their point of view. Because of that I don't tend to quibble with people's emotions or meanings. There is no way that I can know someone else's feelings or emotions better than they do.
Does that help?
More Answered Questions
Ray Noyes
asked
Will Once:
HI Will. I've just had my first humorous book published (Abertwp Awakes - the first of a series) about eccentric characters in an Under Milk Wood sort of village in Wales. I was wondering what your experience of this group has been. Your type of humour is not dissimilar to mine, it appears. Finding the right group is not so easy. Hope you don't mind me asking?
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