Crystals | OTA

[aforethought]

FORM: Crystals
SENDER: Melys
RECIPIENT: Everyone!
WHAT: IC Would-you-rather
WHEN: Now-ish
WHERE: ~Everywhere~
NOTES: Threadjack like mad, please.

[ without preamble, ]

So here’s what: You make up two choices. Maybe they’re both shit, or maybe they’re both alright, but you say them — then you gotta say which one you’d pick, if you had to.

And maybe why. And then everyone else’s gotta answer too. Like this, 

Would you rather not be able t'lie, or only be able to? 

— And no one gives a damn for who you’re fucking or who fucked you over, so don’t go dragging that mess in here or I’ll puke on your shoes.

Comments

[aventuriere]

All truth, certainement! All lies would make scholarship impossible.

[aforethought]

Can't be real truthful if you're using made-up words.

[ she knows it's orlesian. but everyone knows orlais is fake. all of it. teach the controversy. ]

[aventuriere]

Of course you can! Made up words are an excellent loophole in the requirement of constant truth. Can it be a lie if it doesn't truly mean anything at all?

[aforethought]

That's a slippery damn slope though, ain't it? If I take your shit and say I don't mean nothing by it, still got your stuff, don't I?

[aventuriere]

[ Now you've done it, you've unlocked Professor Freddie, here to launch into unnecessary lecturing-mode. ]

Not at all. Lying is unique in this respect. If the prohibition were against stealing, but every time you took something from me you stated that you were merely borrowing it, your description would not matter unless you behaved consistent with borrowing rather than stealing. You could say whatever you liked, true, false, or nonsensical, and it would have no effect on whether you had ultimately obeyed the rules.

On the other hand, when the prohibition is against lying, the words and their meaning are the action. Lying requires language with meaning, because if its meaning is not contrary to the truth, then how could it be a lie? If I ask you whether you've taken them, and you reply "Jocifernully!" have you lied to me?

[aforethought]

[ a long silence, ]

You wanna write that down?

[ like that'd make working it out any easier ]

[aventuriere]

I could, if you'd like. Though I'd recommend Ramseur's recent dialectic on the language/action dichotomy, its quite good, if a bit florid in places.

My point was that you are comparing apples and oranges. Saying that you mean nothing by your actions is fundamentally different than speaking words that have no meaning.

[aventuriere]

Would you rather spend each night fully wrapped in the web of a giant spider, or spend your days with eight legs?

[faithlikeaseed]

Would some of them be spider legs?

[aventuriere]

I'd envisioned them all as spider legs but I'm curious to hear if there's a configuration that alters your decision.

[faithlikeaseed]

Oh, if any number of them can be spider legs, I'm for that one.

Eight of my own legs seems anatomically difficult.

[aventuriere]

You would be pleased to have eight spider legs in place of the lower half of your body for the rest of your life?

[faithlikeaseed]

[..........]

Would I be able to make webs, too?

[aforethought]

Saw a drawing like that once in Denerim. Weren't just eight legs, though —

[aforethought]

Does it ever eat you, or is it just a free place t'sleep?

[aventuriere]

There's no way to know. You must go to sleep every night hanging upside down from the ceiling swathed in the sticky netting of uncertainty.

[aforethought]

Pass. Unless I can combine it with th'knowing when you die question. Eight legs, you'd have spares.