Fermenting the truth
Nov. 16, 2001
Interestingly, a symposium for the greeks in old times, meant a day or night of drinking and of intelligent conversation. It does not follow, however, that truths flow like wine during the revelry, only that inhibitions to its flowing are contained, controlled. Whatever anyone under the influence utters should be considered diluted unless that person is not really intoxicated and may just be using the situation to let out stuff that would be difficult to let out when one is sober. But then, the means used to speak what was supposed to be true diminishes its worth. There are two ways to handle truths and they should be both clear and unwavering: understanding and belief.
Alcohol has various effects. It can be a sedative-hypnotic, a stimulant, and vasodilator or vasoconstrictor. Under its influence, the brain experiences impairments in multiple regions that causes one, some, or all of the following:
a) loss of reason, caution, inhibitions, sociability, intelligence
b) loss of some motor skills, slower reaction time, shaking
c) slurred speech, impaired hearing
d) blurred vision, poor distance judgement
e) lack of muscle coordination and balance
f) loss of vital functions.
It is unlikely, therefore, that such a person with these impairments, especially when reasoning is affected, would spew out truths, not to say that all statements declared during unguarded moments or when unconscious of consequence are less true. But these statements at these moments, situations where it is believed that people are less inclined to be insincere, are as questionnable as any other time when people can be knowingly untruthful. And if validation of the statement would be undertaken when the speaker is no longer intoxicated, why bother pondering over how much of that statement was true when the speaker was drunk?
Attendees to symposia today aren't drunk. (It should prove to be wild though if they were.) These exchanges of ideas, discussions, experimentation, etc... lead to the discovery and acceptance of some truths; and if they help us live our lives better, then that would definitely be something to drink about.
Interestingly, a symposium for the greeks in old times, meant a day or night of drinking and of intelligent conversation. It does not follow, however, that truths flow like wine during the revelry, only that inhibitions to its flowing are contained, controlled. Whatever anyone under the influence utters should be considered diluted unless that person is not really intoxicated and may just be using the situation to let out stuff that would be difficult to let out when one is sober. But then, the means used to speak what was supposed to be true diminishes its worth. There are two ways to handle truths and they should be both clear and unwavering: understanding and belief.
Alcohol has various effects. It can be a sedative-hypnotic, a stimulant, and vasodilator or vasoconstrictor. Under its influence, the brain experiences impairments in multiple regions that causes one, some, or all of the following:
a) loss of reason, caution, inhibitions, sociability, intelligence
b) loss of some motor skills, slower reaction time, shaking
c) slurred speech, impaired hearing
d) blurred vision, poor distance judgement
e) lack of muscle coordination and balance
f) loss of vital functions.
It is unlikely, therefore, that such a person with these impairments, especially when reasoning is affected, would spew out truths, not to say that all statements declared during unguarded moments or when unconscious of consequence are less true. But these statements at these moments, situations where it is believed that people are less inclined to be insincere, are as questionnable as any other time when people can be knowingly untruthful. And if validation of the statement would be undertaken when the speaker is no longer intoxicated, why bother pondering over how much of that statement was true when the speaker was drunk?
Attendees to symposia today aren't drunk. (It should prove to be wild though if they were.) These exchanges of ideas, discussions, experimentation, etc... lead to the discovery and acceptance of some truths; and if they help us live our lives better, then that would definitely be something to drink about.
Labels: A musing
posted by jaybeecc @ Thursday, May 11, 2006
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