On Bullshit

Harry G. Frankfurt’s On Bullshit is in my view hilarious and heartbreaking.As for the latter, the distinctions in the book between lies, bullshit, humbug (new ways of viewing a different attitude related to bullshit like a second cousin), and intention had me reflecting on relationships with friends, family, and partners or dating. Even groups I serve(d) from military to boards, jobs in teaching, to politics, and people I've looked up to.The former, hilarious, relates to my reflection and laughing at how obvious BS is when I understand the difference between this and a ‘bold-faced’ lie. Or, a lie of perception with supporting facts based on the side of belief the individual is on. Having had a relationship with bullshitters is funny in contexts upon reading now. How obvious using this text. Although heartbreaking at the time.Besides owning the book bought a copy of Audible for a few dollars rather than convert text to speech with Speechify. Mostly because I’d like to revisit the topic multiple times without having to retake screenshots for conversion since Speechify only allows so much storage.My purpose for reading and reviewing regularly for use is in regards to marketing. As an aspiring author will undoubtedly be marketing for the remainder of my life.While also teaching others about as a consultant branding is a means of marketing. How we share reality is hugely important. If we develop a strategy on Bullshit for marketing reflects our brand.In the world today nothing goes away. This is how past transgressions while acceptable ‘then’ aren’t now. We will get called out communally for the newly accepted sin. Which was a sin within lack of conscientiousness or training at the time.Building a brand minus bullshit may be a challenge given how we are raised or fear and even who we focus on. Meaning those in the world we idolize who influence us.This book distinctly petitioned to my mind a particular politician. The obvious bullshit by the definition of the book is so obvious when applied.The other definitions where people believe the lies or BS they promote is a whole different ideology due to intention.The intention of which we are aiming for is distinctive. If we are lying there's a method to deception with intent as opposed to the bullshitter who doesn't care one way or another and may or may not believe the crap they're weaving with a certain message they may know very little about.The pandemic certainly has a measure of a little bit of every description in the book.If you're gonna make a review comment without reading the book would make for a very simple misunderstanding of the review and my view on the book or the hot topic of the pandemic.I'm merely sharing observations in brief of how the book aroused a need to dig deeper personally. To ensure bullshit is never allowed in brand marketing not encouraged for client growth.It's my choice to not participate in bullshit or people who exemplify this though before reading the book see how bullshitters had weaseled into my inner circles through life. I laughed at how obvious this is now though at the time can not believe how gullible I was.How I found this book is saw it in a pile Brene Brown had in her office. Why I waited a year to read it through with purpose is to partner with my word of the year, Peace.Every year I pick a word to represent a focus for the 365 days. Rather than my old way of creating a mission and vision statement with ways to accomplish this and a whole lotta reviews of progress, goals, etc.My only goal yearly now is to pick a word. Creatively focus on what this means. Develop a reading list that addresses spaces that interfere with the success of meaning attainment. And, help weed the spaces filled with for lack of a better word bullshit that distracts from what I need, and most of what I want.It’s super easy to pick books about peace. A larger difficulty I’m enjoying is weeding the less obvious challenges.This book has assisted me in recognizing ways I sabotage mental and personal peace tolerating bullshit I wasn’t astutely aware I allowed.Being able to spot the lie is easy. Simple. Mostly. But, bullshit is not so simple. As the person is “never tell a lie when you can bullshit your way through”.“The bullshitter … does not reject the authority of truth, as the liar does … he pays no attention to it at all. By virtue of this, bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are”.Being middle-aged having grown up without present parents am fortunate that a few adults demonstrated healthy attitudes about life.It’s been through faith practice I’ve learned what truth and lies are. How they hurt or help. The art of bullshit was never part of life lessons until adulthood.If you’ve never been hurt by a bullshitter or acknowledged the difference between certain politicians to family or people once considered or maybe still do consider friends this might be a great short read for reflection.Buying on Audible to follow along in the book enjoyed this because I could focus on hearing and digesting. Being read to with some books feels like sharing space with a friend, caring person, or sometimes from a teacher depending on the narrator.This book reads as though it’s a serious subject. Though I had difficulty not laughing based on some examples either from my own life or in the world today.This book vibes like clipping sheers to weed a garden. Or, a tiller if you have so much BS in your life that needs constructive acceptance. This book can be a way of cleaning up life’s garden. Making room for more beautiful flowers and landscapes for enjoyment.I’m laughing at the idea the review is so long for such a short book.Bullshit is deep and I’m hoping this review is the pair of boots you need and or want to wade to the book 😊⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because some of the book spends a lot of time distinguishing humbug from BS that felt excessive for me to make a point.Having a leather-bound copy of such a little book gives a distinct impression of its value. For this, I’m adding back the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Though, leaving off my traditional 💯. So not to bullshit the reader into thinking I didn't notice at least one area that vibed four stars.The overall impact of the book's meaning is five stars for me. I got a lot out of this little book. Gained improved senses for what BS is. Knowledge for understanding creating wisdom in the insight of choices is always a blessing.Who needs more space for happiness and less anxiety, fear, distraction? Check On Bullshit out for answers to ways to improve and eliminate with awareness.Owning authentically all decisions makes dealing with bullshit way easier. A little TP and flush. Rather than not cleaning these people away from influence.Consider who you follow on media. Associations. Inner circle people. Is it better to adjust now or continue to tolerate what eats away at personal peace?How you brand yourself eill determine how the world sees and the legacy being left for generations.May we all have more piece, happiness, and understanding and less crap that interfere with our well being and that we share with the world❤️

To put it even more succinctly than did Harry G. Frankfurt: The business of America is BS. Every leading university should have a center of BS studies, since BS is "one of the most salient characteristics of our culture," yet goes largely unanalyzed. The theoretical unpinnings of BS are notably absent. BS has not "attracted much sustained inquiry." Frankfurt rendered a great public service by meticulously and wittily scoping out the dimensions and charactericistics of BS, in the end arriving at its very essence.Frankfurt's goals in his brief monograph were modest: He aimed to say something helpful, though not decisive, about BS and give only a rough account of what BS is. He provides few concrete examples or illustrations. Although he is quite convinced there is a lot of it, he isn't prepared to state categorically that there is more BS today than in the past. He leaves to the conscientious student the task of determining why an outright lie tends to upset us more than BS.Frankfurt makes only a half-hearted attempt to explain why there is so much BS: "BS is unavoidable [sic] whenever circumstances require someone to talk without knowing what he is talking about." An obvious example of talking without knowing was Barack Obama's informing us that deep-water drilling for oil was safe. A week later came the BP drilling fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico. Undetered, a year later Obama publicly embraced safe, clean nuclear energy as a cornerstone of his energy policy. A few days after that confident pronouncement, Japan experienced a partial core meltdown at its Fukushima nuclear power complex.But all elected politicians engage in BS, because telling the unvarnished truth and thereby alienating whole swaths of constituents would be politically suicidal. So-called senior scholars at our prestigious think tanks throw the bull because their real, unadvertised purpose is to promote the ideology of their rich backers. Lawyers, of course, say whatever it takes to win the case or burnish the image of their clients. The same holds for lobbyists, who might name a political pressure group of coal-plant operators, the "Clear Skies Initiative."We see repeatedly that drug and medical device manufacturers bury studies that show harm and publish studies that show benefits, studies written by researchers with secret financial ties to the companies themselves. Business school academics in the secret pay of their finance-industry clients publish supposedly disinterested studies on the virtues of deregulation and free markets.Public school administrators and teachers achieve large gains in student performance by rigging the student evaluation tests. Public school history textbooks have prestigious authors' names on their covers but are secretly written by marketing hacks. Government regulators see their mission as promoting and protecting "their" industries instead of safeguarding the public. Food retailers reduce the size of the package, then exclaim "New Lower Price!" even though the price per unit of weight is at an all-time high. It's getting ever harder to see the forest for the BS. Frankfurt's treatise couldn't be more timely or more urgently needed.

An interesting essay on the subject.

A short and crear book on a subject that is more and more important in the age of user produced content

Recommended by an Aussie automotive autotrader, this book is explanatory and presented in a clear and simple format. Not a humorous, flippant read, but entertaining none the less. Reccomended.

Un livre court mais dense qui explore le sujet de la vérité sous tous les aspects. De nombreux exemples sont donnés et différents types de récits sont explorés et superposés. Toute personne intéressée par l'épistémologie trouvera des angles et des points de vue intéressants. Un classique à mon avis. Je vais probablement le relire et y réfléchir à nouveau sur le sujet.

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