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Trust not truth

Heinz von Foerster shares with us a beautiful riddle about trust and truth. When I wrote about it my working title was “Trust not truth”. I was thinking this title forth and back because one of my inner voices kept yelling something like “You can’t say one shall not trust the truth if Heinz von Foerster clearly shows that truth is based on trust. I mean, what else could we do but trust the truth?
Trust not truth is nonsense. Put it in your Nonsense Box.”

I did see that “trust not truth” can be read in many ways, too. One being “trust — not truth”. Yet, I eventually changed the title to “The problem is not truth” as if this was any less nonsense. But, I could always say it’s a quote of a quote of a quote :-) That’s why.

So, the problem is trust — not truth.
And this is the truth.

What? You mean there is probably more to it? You mean trust not truth? — Oh, yes, you got me on this one ’cause I am a liar.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 5th, 2006 at 15:51 on rattus rattus' blog and is filed under I am a liar. Responses are currently closed.
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2 Responses to “Trust not truth”

  1. Michael says:
    March 5th, 2006 at 13:03

    Wahrheit hat wohl was mit “wahr nehmen” zu tun. Dann ist das “für wahr nehmen” auch nicht mehr weit davon entfernt. Und das geschieht durch einen Menschen. So gesehen gibt es die Wahrheit, jedoch mehrfach oder zigfach!? Schön sind auch die “Truismen” von Jenny Holzer, da geht es von “A little knowledge can go a long way” bis “Your oldest fears are the worst ones”.

  2. rattus says:
    August 20th, 2006 at 0:13

    Thanks Michael! For some more about Jenny Holzer and links to her truisms see my post Truism.