On Bullshit

1. Bullshit is different from lying and is more prevalent in our culture

One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share.

Ubiquity of bullshit. Bullshit has become an integral part of our daily lives, permeating various aspects of society, from casual conversations to professional settings. Unlike lying, which involves a deliberate attempt to deceive, bullshit is characterized by a casual disregard for the truth.

Lack of theoretical understanding. Despite its prevalence, there has been little serious inquiry into the nature of bullshit, its functions, and its impact on society. This lack of understanding has allowed bullshit to flourish unchecked, as people often fail to recognize or challenge it effectively.

2. Bullshit involves a disregard for truth rather than intentional falsehood

It is just this lack of connection to a concern with truth—this indifference to how things really are—that I regard as of the essence of bullshit.

Indifference to truth. The core characteristic of bullshit is not that it is false, but that the speaker is unconcerned with whether their statements are true or false. This indifference sets bullshit apart from lying, where the speaker knowingly presents false information.

Motivation behind bullshit. Bullshitters are primarily motivated by factors other than communicating truth or falsehood, such as:

• Impressing others
• Advancing personal agendas
• Avoiding difficult conversations
• Filling space in conversation or writing

3. The bullshitter's primary goal is to impress or persuade, not to deceive

What he cares about is what people think of him. He wants them to think of him as a patriot, as someone who has deep thoughts and feelings about the origins and the mission of our country, who appreciates the importance of religion, who is sensitive to the greatness of our history, whose pride in that history is combined with humility before God, and so on.

Impression management. Bullshitters are more concerned with creating a certain impression or eliciting a desired response than with accurately representing reality. They craft their statements to achieve specific social or personal goals.

Persuasion techniques. Bullshitters often employ various persuasion techniques to achieve their aims:

• Appeal to emotions
• Use of impressive-sounding jargon
• Vague or ambiguous statements
• Exaggeration or embellishment

4. Bullshit can be carefully crafted and sophisticated, not just careless

And in these realms there are exquisitely sophisticated craftsmen who—with the help of advanced and demanding techniques of market research, of public opinion polling, of psychological testing, and so forth—dedicate themselves tirelessly to getting every word and image they produce exactly right.

Deliberate construction. While some bullshit may be carelessly produced, sophisticated bullshit can be meticulously crafted to achieve specific goals. This is particularly evident in fields such as advertising, public relations, and politics.

Tools and techniques. Modern bullshitters may employ a range of sophisticated tools and techniques to refine their messages:

• Market research
• Psychological profiling
• Data analytics
• Focus group testing
• A/B testing of messages

5. Bull sessions and "shooting the bull" are related to but distinct from bullshit

What tends to go on in a bull session is that the participants try out various thoughts and attitudes in order to see how it feels to hear themselves saying such things and in order to discover how others respond, without its being assumed that they are committed to what they say.

Exploratory nature. Bull sessions serve as a space for people to explore ideas and attitudes without fully committing to them. This differs from bullshit in that participants are aware of the speculative nature of the conversation.

Social function. Bull sessions and "shooting the bull" serve important social functions:

• Building camaraderie
• Exploring sensitive topics in a low-stakes environment
• Developing communication skills
• Testing boundaries of acceptable discourse

6. Bullshit is more about phoniness than outright fakery

For the essence of bullshit is not that it is fake but that it is phony.

Authenticity vs. accuracy. Bullshit is characterized more by its lack of authenticity than by its factual inaccuracy. A bullshit statement may be technically true but still fail to represent the speaker's genuine beliefs or knowledge.

Implications of phoniness:

• Erosion of trust in communication
• Difficulty in distinguishing genuine expertise from pretense
• Potential for manipulation in various contexts (e.g., politics, marketing)

7. People tend to be more tolerant of bullshit than lies

In fact, people do tend to be more tolerant of bullshit than of lies, perhaps because we are less inclined to take the former as a personal affront.

Social acceptance. Bullshit is often more socially acceptable than outright lying, possibly because it is perceived as less directly harmful or offensive.

Reasons for tolerance:

• Less perceived intent to deceive
• Often serves social lubrication functions
• Can be entertaining or engaging
• May align with listeners' existing beliefs or desires

8. Bullshitting allows for more creative freedom than lying

This freedom from the constraints to which the liar must submit does not necessarily mean, of course, that his task is easier than the task of the liar. But the mode of creativity upon which it relies is less analytical and less deliberative than that which is mobilized in lying.

Creative latitude. Bullshitting offers more room for creativity and improvisation compared to lying, which requires adherence to a specific false narrative.

Bullshitting as an art form:

• Allows for imaginative storytelling
• Encourages quick thinking and adaptability
• Can involve skillful use of language and rhetoric
• May draw on diverse knowledge to create compelling narratives

9. The bullshitter misrepresents their own intentions, not necessarily facts

What he does necessarily attempt to deceive us about is his enterprise. His only indispensably distinctive characteristic is that in a certain way he misrepresents what he is up to.

Intention deception. The key deception in bullshit lies not in the content of the statements but in the speaker's representation of their own intentions and knowledge.

Implications of misrepresented intentions:

• Difficulty in assessing the reliability of information
• Potential for manipulation of audience perceptions
• Challenges in holding bullshitters accountable
• Erosion of trust in public discourse

10. Excessive bullshitting can erode one's ability to perceive truth

Through excessive indulgence in the latter activity, which involves making assertions without paying attention to anything except what it suits one to say, a person's normal habit of attending to the ways things are may become attenuated or lost.

Cognitive consequences. Habitual bullshitting can lead to a diminished capacity to discern and value truth, both in oneself and in others.

Long-term effects of bullshitting:

• Weakened critical thinking skills
• Increased susceptibility to misinformation
• Difficulty in engaging in genuine, fact-based discourse
• Potential for self-deception and loss of authenticity
• Erosion of social trust and effective communication

Last updated: September 21, 2024