On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt

I’ve been reading Harry Frankfurt’s On Bullshit, and it gave me a lot to think about. It’s a short text, but very sharp. And honestly, it made me see how often we deal with bullshit around us, and sometimes, even produce it.

Here are some key ideas:

Bullshit is not the same as lying

A liar knows the truth but chooses to hide it. That’s bad, of course. But at least the liar still respects the truth in some strange way, because they have to know it.

On the other hand the bullshiters don’t care at all if what they say is true or false. The only thing that matters to them is how they sound, if they impress, if they influence, if they win the moment. Truth is not even on the table.

Bullshit is more dangerous than lies

When someone lies, we can still detect the lie if we know the facts. But with bullshit, we’re lost, There is no clear relation to reality. It’s just words, empty, disconnected. Lies can be caught, bullshit slowly kills our sense that truth even matters and that’s the real danger.

Frankfurt also says that bullshit isn’t just a problem with how we talk. It’s also about what kind of people we are. It shows how we treat knowledge.

Why is there so much bullshit today?

Frankfurt says it’s because of social pressure, social media, and the crazy speed of the world we live in, we’re expected to have opinions on everything, all the time. To post, to comment, to react fast. FOMO.

It’s easier and faster to say something than to take time to think, check facts, or stay quiet.

I’m guilty.