Dichotomies’ dichotomization
Craftsmen use tools. Tools such as knives, pincers, forceps, scissors, and levers and hammers, of course. Liars are using tools, too. One of them are dichotomies. Just as there are many forms of knives there are many forms of dichotomies. Luckily, for us liars.
So, this is my revelation. I present you my secret list of liars’ tools:
Synonyms for dichotomy
bisection, criticism, cutting in two, decision, dichotomization, discernment, discrimination, discussion, distinction (to distinguish), division, intersection, sectioning, secretion, separation
So much for synonyms from an etymological point of view. Here is a list of synonyms from a modern day point of view:
analysis, bifurcation, branching, being twofold, categorization, classification, compartmentalization, consciousness, definition, departure, detachment, determination, deviation, difference, discipline, dislikeness, disparity, dispute, dissimilarity, divergence, diversion, divorce, duality, forking, grouping, inequality, isolation, particularization, parting, partitioning, polarization, science, seclusion, segregation, taxonomy, termination, unlikeness, unsimilarity
Enough for more than a liar. Yet, there are also some closely following, related terms:
arrangement, assortment, contradiction, disagreement, discrepancy, hierarchy, order, set, sorting, …
Antonyms for dichotomy
alliance, bind, combination, connection, glue, hedging, joint, likeness, saving, similarity, synthesis, system, unification, whole
Note how most of these “antonyms” can only react to a dichotomy, and others are missing accompanying words that describe an action, such as wholing, wholement or wholination. In some way, they are antonyms, but they were not if it wasn’t for dichotomization. There are no antonyms for dichotomy itself, as there cannot be any antonym for something that contradicts itself.
Watch out for dichotomies. Dichotomies are lies.
But don’t forget: Language is deceiving.
By the way, deception is a form of dichotomization.
Here is a little reward for still being with me: Etymologically seen, I know of two families of words that magically try to overcome the paradox of dichotomy: Words derived from the stem war(a)– of which only a few are left; awareness, warrant, and the German wahren (to conserve, to care) being the most well-known. The other family gathers around the stem fri– which meant “(your) own, (be)loved, proper” (sometimes written as “pri-“). I know of three words which are derived from it: free, friend, and German Frieden (peace).