Replying to LO30888 --
In a message dated 1/19/04 2:01:10 PM, amdelange@postino.up.ac.za writes:
>Facts can be presented in such a order that the truth can be bended
>considerably. Many politicians are masters in this bending of the
>truth with their statements by using facts to suite their ways. It is
>a pity that learners, even students at a university, are not aware
>that the order of the representation of facts is very important to
>stay with the truth. Often they will present most of the facts, but
>in such a way that they have drifted far away from the truth. >>
"The Facts." An overused expression in that everyone assumes they
know, but in truth no one actually knows. The story of the blind men
touching the elephant and each reporting different descriptions of
what the elephant is comes to mind:
One touches the trunk and talks only about that; another touches the
tail and describes the elephant as such. Each believes his experience
to be true and correct.
People often tell stories from others as if they were their own
experiences. Discussions alone cannot eliminbate trouble. Words
cannot always describe facts. For what is perceived as white may turn
out to be black and discussions alone cannot settle whether it is
white or black.
As Dr. Hitoshi Kume of Japan was fond of saying: Let facts speak for
themselves.
Frank Voehl (FVoehl@aol.com)
CEO, Strategy Associates, Inc.
www.strategyassociates.cc
(954) 755-6629
COO, Harrington Group International
www.hginet.com
1-800-ISO-9000 x 2235
"The interesting observation was, in fact, the result of very long
investigations and search for self-criticisms, and had a philosophical
and removed attitute which I felt was necessary to get it acccepted."
- Mandelbrot
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