Here’s another stupidity of our society’s proclivity for “unthought”: from the lips of a Fox Mass Media Podperson the phrase, “a higher level of truth.”
That’s right. The idea is abroad in the land that there are levels of truth. True truth, not-so-true truth, almost truth and true in ones own mind truth? Let’s just smack this stupidity down wherever it is encountered. There is truth and not-truth. Period. Truth adulterated by anything not true is either a lie or an unintentional a mistatement against fact. Period. It is not a different form of truth.
True/False is an either/or situation, period. If others’ notes and recordings of a conversation consistently contradict ones recollection of events, then ones recollection is not true, no matter how firmly one believes it to be so. Period. That’s one reason I’m glad I live in a “one party” state, where anyone who is party to a conversation can record that conversation with or without permission from the other parties (unless one is acting in concert with or as an agent of law enforcement, in which case either prior permission or a warrant, etc. is rerquired for recording). And I do carry a pocket recorder any time I feel I may have need of documentation of a conversation. While my recall is excellent, whenever I focus on mentally “recording” events, documentation in the form of a recording of a conversation with a service person, for example, can be a compelling resource in case of discrepancies in recollection.
And the truth (real truth, not some “higher level” of truth) is almost always a perfect defense when falsely accused of anything. Almost. Our society no longer has as great a respect for truth as it once may have… thanks to the spreading of the lie that there are levels of truth.