Harry G. Frankfurt “On Bullshit” – the Opposite of Authenticity and the Enemy of Truth
I recently took a training course on quality management, and this book was recommended by the instructor. On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt is a short philosophical analysis and theoretical understanding on the meaning of bullshit. The resource for the definition comes from the essay, “The Prevalence of Humbug,” by Max Black, Cornell University Press, 1985 (p. 4). Humbug is defined as a deceptive misrepresentation, short of lying, especially by pretentious word or deed, of somebody’s own thoughts, feelings or attitudes (p.6). Humbug is synonymous with bullshit.
In a similar vein, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines bull as “trivial, insincere, or untruthful talk or writing; nonsense.” Even further, the Urban Dictionary defines bullshit as “a blatant lie, a fragrant untruth, an obvious fallacy.”
For the author, the essence of bullshit is a lack of connection with the truth. There is an indifference to how things really are. Bullshit smells of phoniness and an inferiority to that which is genuine. Yet, people tend to be more tolerant of bullshit than of lying. Our culture has so much bullshit, we think we can easily recognize it. Yet, we have no clear understanding of what it is. According to Frankfurt, for both lying and in telling the truth, people are guided by their principles or belief systems. Bullshit ignores these principles and becomes the enemy of truth.
Why so much?
Bullshit happens whenever circumstances require someone to talk about something without fully knowing or understanding what one is sharing.
There may be a time and place for bullshitting with others. I know I do this sometimes, most often when I am joking with family and friends. Those closest to me and who often laugh with me also call me on the BS. Yet, the author raises the concern that an excess of bullshit in our culture causes indifference and a lack of connection with others.
Faking it. A disconnect from the truth. Being a phony. Indifference. These bullshit characteristics are the opposite of authenticity. Being authentic is about being grounded in the truth of who we are. Bullshit gets in the way of what it means to be genuine, to be real. If bullshit is a “fragrant untruth,” (according to the Urban Dictionary), then authenticity is the sweet smell of integrity.
Do we have a clear understanding of what it means to be authentic? For ourselves? For our society? If so, how can we challenge our own BS and society’s bullshitting tendencies that get in the way of living life from a consistent place of our core truth?
What helps you move from the trivial to a deeper connection with the genuine reality of who you are?
How can we challenge our society to do the same?
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