On Bullshit

I just finished reading one of my favorite little books. It's called On Bullshit, written by Harry Frankfurt. Frankfurt is a philosopher and it tweaks my funnybone to read a formal logical treatise with the word 'bullshit' sprinkled liberally on every page.

But it's not simply a chuckle, it's an examination of the nature of bullshit. I'm most impressed by the thoughtful argument that bullshit is actually more corrosive to civil society than outright lies because bullshit has no concern for the truth. (At least lying has a firm regard and respect for the truth, even if lying aims only to conceal it.)

I think it's easy to lose sight of the bullshit in society today - it's just as hard to see 'England' when you're standing in Trafalgar Square.

This isn't to say that I don't do my part to generate bullshit; after all, I toe the company line regardless of whether I fully believe in it. And that (needless to say) is what makes it bullshit - the deliberate disregard for truth.

So I propose to start a little karmic bullshit exchange here At the Tap... In exchange for the bullshit that I proclaim in my life, I will take a moment here to call attention to and revile various elements of bullshit in society at large.