The Essence of Bullshit (Part 2)

If you wanted to find the antidote to bullshit, look not further than the fine craftsman. Each product designed by the craftsman is as it should be. At no point does he relax his thoughtful self-discipline, even for parts of his work that aren’t immediately visible. But he does not do this to impress others. It doesn’t matter to him whether they care or notice. He is only interested in appeasing his own conscience. On the contrary, the bullshitter makes no effort of that sort. The bullshitter is only interested in the reaction.

But that is not to say, that the craftsman and bullshitter can not merge and become one. Here, we have the emergence of a different species, the bullshit artist. In advertising and public relations, and politics, there is a rich tapestry of bullshit. And now, with advanced technology that polls opinions on a constant basis, sophisticated techniques of market research, and psychological testing, the bullshit artist of these areas is armed with a powerful arsenal of refined bullshit generation tools.

But Frankfurt observes that no matter how studiously the bullshitter proceeds, he is still trying to get away with something. And just like the untidy craftsman, there is some degree of laxity which evades attention. Then, we are given the example of Wittgenstein, the mathematician-philosopher, who devoted much of his time to fighting the war on “nonsense.”

Apparently, he was like that in his personal life too. A story related by Fania Pascal, who knew him in Cambridge in the 1930s, suggests this:

I had my tonsils out and was in the Evelyn Nursing Home feeling sorry for myself. Wittgenstein called. I croaked: “I feel just like a dog that has been run over.” He was disgusted: “You don’t know what a dog that has been run over feels like”

Read *The Art of Bullshit. *

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2. Part 2: Stir Up The Transgressive and Taboo (The Art of Seduction)
3. Myth 9: Old Age is Typically Associated with Increased Dissatisfaction and Senility (50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology)
4. Man and His Symbols Summary (7/10)