While it may be true that as Throeau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them", many are much more overt in living lives of not so quiet exasperation.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
'Whatever' so totally tops most annoying word poll
While it may be true that as Throeau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them", many are much more overt in living lives of not so quiet exasperation.
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Sometimes I read posts a second time (especially when there are no new ones :^)
And while everything you say here is true -- about the exasperation factor -- I see "Whatever" as a deterioration of the concept of truth. Francis Schaeffer liked to call the kind of truth that cannot -- or should not -- be devalued "true truth", meaning truth that resided in the object or event (the "it" that the truth was about) rather than the subject (the one who is perceiving the object or event)
There has been a marked deterioration of that concept of truth since the 60's. Don't you think? I see "whatever" as another way of saying "it may be true for you, but it is not true for me", or "that may be your kind of truth, but it's not mine."
It is also subtly saying "And what's more, the subject of our disagreement is not worth trying to come to a mutual conclusion"
I would agree. "Whatever" denotes a laissez-faire approach (aka lazy) to relationship as well. It is an abbreviated form of "I don't know and I don't care" without the expenditure of energy required by discourse or the forthrightness of the sentiment.But methinks it is also a lazy approach to reaching solutions to problems- the exasperation factor comes in when the least amount of effort or some sort of justification is required. People are personally and mightily offended if things just don't conform to their way.
More thoughts at lunchtime...So the concept of truth- an objective standard of verification that stands outside of personal feeling or belief systems - is more than just facts and figures- it has relational ramifications, as everyone from the exasperated masses to the postmodern presidency try to claim authority outside their purviews...
And now, daily we see the deterioration and diminishment of the truth of which we speak.
And that is why regardless of whether or not Fox News speaks the truth, it doesn't make any difference to those of a 'Lazy-faire' attitude. Truth becomes an obsolete standard; and expediency, higher goals, and the like become the norm.
But we must not think of this as merely a neutral choice among choices. It is an evil choice with huge moral ramifications. "deceived...because they did not receive the love of the truth..." 2 Th 2:10
And it can be seen more so every day now, as sadly, it accelerates.
The judgment of Romans 1:18 and following is that those who suppress the truth are "without excuse." I think truth suppressors should think twice about the wrath of God. I know the verse refers specifically to suppressing the TRUE truth about God and his created order, but by extension I think it certainly applies to anyone who would set their own standards of Truth.
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