The Difference Between Truth and Opinion: How the Misuse of Language Can Lead to Disaster
In this brilliant analysis of the role of language in confrontation, Timothy J. Cooney asks "Who would go to war under the banner, 'We believe we may be right' or 'In my opinion God is on our side'"?\ Most people will passionately defend what they believe to be true - whether it's true or not. We state what we believe to be true in what Cooney calls the bold, declarative form. Instead of saying, "It is true that the world is round!" we just say "The world is round!" and the form implies that...
