{"id":38996,"date":"2018-10-18T16:18:24","date_gmt":"2018-10-18T20:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sidebarforplaintiffs.naomifein.net\/?p=38996"},"modified":"2018-10-18T16:18:24","modified_gmt":"2018-10-18T20:18:24","slug":"fact-or-truth-truth-or-fact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sidebarforplaintiffs.naomifein.net\/?p=38996","title":{"rendered":"Fact or Truth, Truth or Fact"},"content":{"rendered":"

Because I’ve been writing a book, How I Learned The Facts Of Life,<\/em> I’ve been drawn into an internal debate over “fact” and “truth,” probing the meaning and proper application of each.<\/p>\n

Is “truth” the equivalent of “fact”?<\/p>\n

Dictionary definitions don’t go deep enough. Maybe philosophy would, but I have no patience for philosophy. As the most intellectual of my exes once said, “I’ve always figured I could learn whatever’s in philosophy by reading something more interesting — history, fiction…” I, who was at that time trying very hard to get through a multi-volume history of philosophy because I knew nothing about it but felt I should, sighed with relief, thanked ex profusely and gave the books away.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, I have a bit of patience for my own contemplation — especially since it’s a lot terser than anything a philosopher could come up with. (A benefit of using Twitter: you can, if put to the task, express the universe in 280 characters. A good discipline.)<\/p>\n

So here’s what I’m thinking:<\/p>\n

\u201cTruth\u201d is often used interchangeably with \u201cfact.\u201d It conveys something larger and more glorious than plain old fact. Truth radiates a halo, conveys a bit of supernal awe.<\/p>\n

Fact goes splat. It is not a graceful word.<\/p>\n

But Fact means demonstrable evidence. Truth means belief \u2013 maybe accompanied by demonstrable evidence but maybe not. Who knows? Truth isn’t going to tell you.<\/p>\n

I have noticed that some people use the word \u201cFact\u201d as a battle cry, a preamble to a verbal colon. \u201cFact: I am a genius.\u201d<\/p>\n

I once heard such a misuse of \u201cfact\u201d in a meeting with a lawyer-investment adviser. He was flinging around a legal threat as a sort of sales pitch. \u201cFact: if you don\u2019t do what I\u2019m telling you, you could be sued for mismanagement.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still pissed at that memory. (Does it show?)<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think there should be a strict rule, such as:<\/p>\n