Do you think we could communicate if we cut out all generalities and only spoke ABSOLUTE truths?( statements that were true all the time in every situation)


I kind of believe VERY FEW Things are absolutes, and details matter, but I expect people to have the common sense to realize that humans will generally speak and see life through generalities and categories.

For instance, our culture generally views women as deserving a certain respect as lifegivers, mothers, and weaker (physically) humans. THough not every woman wants to or can give life or be a mother and some women can certainly kick a mans butt regardless of size.

Yet, we are much more outraged when a man and a woman get in a domestic if the woman is hurt, to the point we dont even CARE what she did(if she hurt the man,,ie).

we generally put women and children first in life saving operations, although there are some pretty weak men and terrific fathers that are just as significant socially,,,,


do you think we should speak in less generalities and only speak to individual situations based upon individual details,,,,? or do you think common sense should be able to determine a generality from an absolute?

Postmodernism? Michael Foucalt was once asked why his writing was so difficult to read, when he was so easily understandable in person. He replied that he needed to write obscurely or no one would take him seriously.

That is a pretty broad use of the term "we "......are you French?

Generalities and catagories are fairly accurate...maybe not every minute of the day...but generally speaking...they ain't far off the mark with most of society...

Dorks
sluts
good
Bad
A -hole
b!tch
Friend
Enemy

...no one likes being pidgeon holed into a catagory ...but we are.

To me...you are either cool....or you ain't ...

Just as I will be catagorized...

Who cares?

All I can do is the best I can do...if that ain't good enough...then someone else is the one with the problem.

I don't think we could get through life without making generalizing. It allows us to learn what works most of the time, or at least often enough to profit from it.

right generalizations can sometimes be a good jump off point. To speak in detail is a relative term. For example I watch birds. A neighbor could tell me: I see a brown hawk thinking she is being quite specific. But that is a HUGE general statement to me, and I could not make a positive ID based on it.

Specifics require detailed knowledge. The more detail, the more knowledge that is required to be more specific and on and on.....as infinitum

So at some level speaking in general terms can be useful

IMHO, speaking to each other in absolute truths could ultimately lead to the total demise of verbal communication among people.

Reference: See Liar, Liar....starring Jim Carey

Prior to speaking in only absolute truths one must first know them, or some of them, or at least ONE of them.

Do you? If so, care to set it out?

Yes to the first and second questions and No to the last question, because many people do not use common sense. IMO

What good would that do if a person doesn't believe that an absolute truth is an absolute truth?

People who use the term "common sense" the most, seem to have the least amount of it.

There are no absolutes except infinity. Chivalry is misunderstood because it is a good idea and culture is in the throes of apathy. Generalizing is primal instinct. As humans we can then proceed to discernment.

They say the truth will set you free.

There are not always absolute truths, for example, we cannot speak about the future in absolute truths because it has not taken place yet. Language is understood because of the knowledge and experience held by ourselves and the people we are communicating with, and in my opinion we should choose the right words to convey without ambiguity what it is we want to say, and not depend on a common sense interpretation.

I think the term "common sense" is a misnomer.
Being truthful when of deep importance should be common sense. Telling small lies to prevent hurt upon unimportant matters should be common sense.

Depends on the situation and a deep grasp of common sense.

I only speak in generalities to women because it frustrates them.

Iwould tend to think that is what the human mind wonders.

Personally I think there are few absolutes and we speak in terms mostly of perceptions

the human mind autmatically categorizes, like a filing cabinet. We cannot stop that even if we try, but in the trying we learn discernment.

What Harmony has raised is as usual for her, an interesting topic, that is in my opinion to do mostly with how we think and how we learn. Without those there would indeed be little understanding in communication.

I see folk on here argue about generalizations so they often beg clarity and that is a good thing (in my mind's eye anyway)

Life seems easier when we can place everyone and everything into neat little categories...When people rely on generalizations (and categories) they assume that they "know" most everything. (And have nothing "new" to see or observe or learn in life.)...Critical thinking involves questioning ourselves and questioning our assumptions and longheld beliefs as we move through life...This is hard for people who wrap their identities around their pre-existing beliefs. It's hard to admit that we might have been "wrong" about certain things...It's easier to get into the "defensive mode" where we "attack" (and try to silence and intimidate) anyone who dares to suggest that we might be "wrong." (About anything.)...Open-minded people tend to be more "fluid" and flexible when it comes to what they believe (or "hold true") as they move through various phases in their lives.

You are asking a lot from me, as I don't want to be taken seriously.

There's only one man I know who did this and they hung Him on a cross.