When I met Erwin Chargaff in his flat in New York, I felt like entering a new world, yet familiar. In his book “Kritik der Zukunft” he suggests that, for the time being, we declare our resignation from humankind.
Besides the fact that he says he did, I am to follow.
So here I am, outside.
Have you ever tried to prove something indirectly? I am pretty sure you are doing it all day long. According to Wikipedia, see Wikipedia: Indirect Proof, it is as simple as the following:
If you have no water, you can’t make coffee.
This seems to be undoubtedly true to me, at least since adolescence. And it is because water is one of the essential ingredients for coffee.
Let us apply the nice rules of Indirect Proving to another statement that is true.
First the statement itself:
This statement is true.Now, we assume that it is wrong (meaning “we have no water”). Then we will see if this leads to a contradiction (or something as unbearable as “being unable to make more coffee”).
If the statement is wrong, that is
“This statement is true” is wrong.
it follows that This statement is wrong. Because of this, saying the statement is wrong, it follows that The statement is true. But this contradicts our assumption.
Witty readers probably see that the proof did not precisely lead to a contradiction but to a paradox. Let me suggest that for a moment, we adopt this paradoxical situation here as being as futile as a contradiction.
Well, here is another example of an often heard, and certainly true statement right for you to try out what we have just learned:
I am saying the 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.
You probably know the feeling of being not accepted the way you are. Since many years, for instance, my grandmother wants me to cut my hair. Some friends, as you might imagine, dislike what I am writing. Others, it appears, can’t stop moaning about my way of life. Why is it so difficult to accept me just the way I am?
Maybe, it’s because
if I am feeling not accepted by others, if I wish others would accept the way I am, then I do not accept others the way they are. I simply do not accept that they do not accept me.
