"Ubiquitous video has revolutionized law enforcement. My first interview was with a married couple whom Ill call Joel and Deirdre, an architect and a painter, respectively. At the government station there was indeed paper from forty years ago, what the Europeans called "assessment reports," and Mosebys presence was sufficient to grant them access. The singular forms of facts and truths are fact and truth. Truth. I didnt mention that not everyone considered that a positive development. It wasnt hard to get them talking about Remem. I appreciate what youre trying to do. My retinal projector displayed footage of a cocktail party; its from Deirdres point of view, and Joel is telling a number of people, "It was pretty clear that he was guilty from the day he was arrested. It was a good story, worthy of being recorded on paper. For all practical purposes, she can write. The former is about fact. Initially I was angry as I watched, angry at Nicole for going to such lengths to create this lie, because the preceding footage was all consistent with me being the one who yelled at her. ", "Im not sure. What sane world would leave me with sole responsibility for raising an adolescent girl? The Truth is fascinating, clever, ardent, once in a while irritating and whiny, here and there makes you need to go up to the creator and smack him upside his bare head, and different circumstances you pull for him, understand, identify. "You think our elders are the ones pretending! ", "I dont expect that. "Very many." Im asking them to trust the men who were elders when you were young. 1/22/2018 Subterranean Press The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling by Ted Chiang 2/18 village was to collect taxes for the roads they had built; they visited some clans more often because the people refused to pay taxes, but that hadn't happened in the Shangev clan. Then, one summer a European woman named Reiss came to visit the village. The assertion or statement of a thing done or existing; sometimes, even when false, improperly put, by a transfer of meaning, for the thing done, or supposed to be done; a thing supposed or asserted to be done; as, history abounds with false facts. "Communication is not for proving you're right but admitting you're wrong.". Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Reception Synopsis "I cant change the things I did, but at least I can stop pretending I didnt do them. ", Jijingi looked at the paper. This question raised by Pilate, when Jesus Christ stood trial before him, exposed his own worldview. Its more likely that I manufactured the memory when I was first shown the snapshots and over time, Ive imbued it with the emotion I imagine I felt that day. She must have noticed my request for access to her lifelog footage, and concocted this to teach me a lesson. But it wasnt because you had magically become a good father. Moseby showed him how to make each of the different marks on a sheet of paper, using a tiny wooden rod that had a core of soot. And while I wasnt that man anymore, I couldnt deny that I was continuous with him. If you spend billions trying to make a place better, and it gets worse . The idea that accounts of the past shouldnt change is a product of literate cultures reverence for the written word. I used to think it could be valuable for individuals to tell stories about themselves, valuable in a way that it couldnt be for cultures, but Im a product of my time, and times change. Another of my earliest memories is of playing on the living room rug, pushing toy cars around, while my grandmother worked at her sewing machine; she would occasionally turn and smile warmly at me. Sabe instructs Anongo to repay Umem 11, the first payment to be in three months when his crops are saleable. But its not lying if the principals dont speak, Moseby clearly disapproved. "Why not? And reading just the words gave you only a hint of the experience of listening to Kokwa himself, as if one were licking the pot in which okra had been cooked instead of eating the okra itself. "And Ive upset you again by bringing all this up. He graduated from Brown University with a Computer Science degree. ", "It might be easier if you have a European with you," said Moseby, smiling. But that era is coming to an end. But according to our customer analytics, our users havent been doing that. I believe that it's a probable future we as a species are moving towards. TRUTH AND FACT IN HISTORY RECONSIDERED W. H. WALSH At the outset of my Introduction to Philosophy of History, first published in 1951, I listed a number of problems which, I said, should undoubtedly be recognized as genuine by philosophers who approach the discipline of his-tory from a critical point of view. The most catastrophic one was when Nicoles mother Angela declared that she deserved a more interesting life than the one we were giving her, and spent the next decade criss-crossing the globe. What I feared was that Remem would make it impossible for this feedback loop to get rolling. You said he was being railroaded. Now I have proof. It seemed to me that continuous video of my entire childhood would be, , simply because cameras couldnt capture the emotional dimension of events. "Shall we take a trip? It was different for Moseby, who never acted anything out when he gave his sermons; for him, the words were what was important. "Tell me the story that the paper tells," he said. might no longer be necessary to teach children how to read or write, because speech recognition and synthesis would soon render those abilities superfluous. We dont normally think of it as such, but writing is a technology, which means that a literate person is someone whose thought processes are technologically mediated. Moseby said she was "a person who learns about other people" but could not explain what that meant, only that she wanted to learn about Tivland. The paper version of the story was curiously disappointing. Now hes done for. Or perhaps it was a film she had created to show her friends, to reinforce the stories she told about me. She was obviously curious about why Id come. Excerpts from the short story "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" by Ted Chiang It was the summer of Jijingis thirteenth year when a European came to live in the village. ", I closed both windows, and Deirdre said, "Without Remem, Id never be able to convince him that he changed his position. "And Remem is entirely customizable," she continued. His porters appeared first, the boxes they carried visible from a distance as they threaded their way between the cassava fields; the missionary himself was the last to appear, apparently exhausted even though he carried nothing. But this is a good story. You and I are speaking right now, and neither of us needs paper to do so. It just sounds like both sides have equally good claims, and theres no way to tell whos right. It was a few years later that Sabe began attending a series of meetings of all the chiefs in the Shangev clan. The administration wanted to have a written record of all the disputes brought before the tribal courts, so they were assigning each chief one of these youths to act as a scribe. Take a look at the video, and decide for yourself. However, we struggle to find ways to speak our truth for many of us, myself included. And Im embarrassed to admit that this is precisely the scenario Erica Meyers predicted when she talked about Remems effects on relationships. Even more telling was the fact that for many years I had successfully hidden the truth from myself. The assessment report of the Europeans was, it was exact and precise, but that wasnt enough to settle the question, . He himself had been speaking in words all along. But finding the right clip of video often wasnt easy, and all but the most determined gave up on doing so. Now those boys have returned, and they feel no kinship with anyone. Umem demands the return of the 11 he paid as bridewealth. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Facts and truth are commonly equated, but there is an important and practical difference: Consider the way facts are used in courts of law to bring about injustice; on this basis alone, Truth needs to be more than a synonym for fact. If he left tomorrow morning, he could reach the motor road in time to get a ride. "And everyone in Tivland is a descendant of Tiv. Moseby offered to teach the other children as well, and for a time Jijingis age-mates came along, mostly to prove to each other that they werent afraid of being near a European. Facts go beyond theories. Our relationship didnt improve overnight, but over the years I was able to work myself back into Nicoles good graces. I wont forget what I want to say, but I might forget the best way to say it. "But that doesnt mean he was lying." Speaking up and speaking your truth is an essential aspect of living a life of passion, fulfillment, and authenticity. The best possible way two distinct, seemingly unrelated stories can culminate in a single message. But, I asked her, didnt she think Remem created greater opportunities for those types of arguments to arise, even in solid marriages, by making it easier for people to keep score? I sure as hell would be better off without you.". "You know me as well as you need to.". Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. "I remembered it too, or at least I thought I did. To tell (you) the truth (= speaking honestly) I'm happy he's not coming. Lifelogs are the most complete photo album imaginable, but like most photo albums, they lie dormant except on special occasions. It's. I fed you with milk, not solid "In the land I come from, everyone who testifies in court must swear to speak, Jijingi didnt see the point of that, but all he said was, "Every tribe has its own customs. "Could the western Shangev join a different sept from the southern Shangev? I remembered that argument as being a turning point for me. Yet post-truth . The witnesses, however, are sworn to say precisely what happened; they speak, . ", "No," said Kokwa, "I told it just as I told it before. so even better. If Batur and Iorkyaha were here, they would agree with me that we should join with the Kwande clan. ", The missionary spoke as if his tongue were too large for his mouth, but Jijingi could tell what he was saying. A powerful cross-cultural examination of many facets of the human condition. Shouldnt my writing be the same? . Moseby said he would get better with practice, but Jijingi despaired that hed ever become fast enough. With Remem providing only the unvarnished facts, my image of myself will never stray too far from the truth in the first place. She doesnt dictate her messages and ask a virtual secretary to read back to her what she last said, the way that essayist predicted; Nicole subvocalizes, her retinal projector displays the words in her field of vision, and she makes revisions using a combination of gestures and eye movements. But over the course of an hour-long trip survey of past events, Remems performance was generally impressive. Regarding the role of truth in autobiography, the critic Roy Pascal wrote, "On the one side are the truths of fact, on the other the truth of the writers feeling, and where the two coincide cannot be decided by any outside authority in advance." The first post, uses the invention of writing and print to unpack the meaning of McLuhan's statement, "The medium is the message." Jijingi realized that Moseby wrote down his sermons not because his memory was terrible, but because, he was looking for a specific arrangement of words. i. None of that was captured on paper; only the bare words could be written down. Fact noun. But even apart from the Bible, people have recorded their lineages. if everyone remembered everything, would our differences get shaved away? The truth of Fact, The truth of Feeling # webdev # beginners So as im reading through Exhalations (see first weekly review) i come across the short story titled the title. My first thought was that it must be a fake, that Nicole had edited the video to put her words into my mouth. [1] Charlie Jane Anders compared it to Black Mirror,[2] and Gary K. Wolfe described it as a "deeply thoughtful meditation. The main idea here is straightforward: If you throw more facts at people . His name was Moseby, and he thanked everyone who had worked on the huts. Businesses become more effective when they adopt good record-keeping practices. the state or character of being true. He pointed at the sheet of paper. Is it wishful thinking, political spin, mass delusion, bold-faced lying? Which dulls the experience overall . In a parallel narrative strand, a Tiv man is one of the first of his people to learn to read and write, and discovers that this may not be compatible with oral tradition. Finally, they were satisfied, and Sabe resumed his walk. It was first published in 2013 in Subterranean Press. Then Jijingi remembered something about the European language, and understood Mosebys confusion. A separate video window opened up, an excerpt of her lifelog that she looked up and broadcast to the people theyve been talking with. Sure enough, Deborah had been recording that evening, and with her video I was able to use a recognition agent to identity everyone sitting across from us. She shrugged. This had meant many changes in the way the Tiv did things, but it had never meant Europeans living among them before. But for our actual selves, the relationship between those two actions wasnt so straightforward. When Sabe has heard what happened can he decide what action is, for everyone. Thinking versus feeling. Insanely well written and forces a necessary dialogue on a very possible future. The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling by Ted Chiang Subterranean Press clipping November 26th, 2015 When my daughter Nicole was an infant, I read an essay suggesting that it might no longer be necessary to teach children how to read or write, because speech recognition and synthesis would soon render those abilities superfluous. "If you speak slowly, you pause very briefly after each word. Did it really matter whose idea it was to take the vacation that turned out so disastrously? ", "Anongo didnt lie," said Jijingi. Sabe had Jijingi come forward, and to the officer he said, "I know you dont have enough scribes for all of Tivland. "I know you think highly of all your sermons, but todays sermon was a good one. "This paper tells the story of Adam. Moseby flipped through the sheaf of papers, and Jijingi could see each sheet was covered with marks from edge to edge; there must be many, many stories there. ", "Well you should be! "Even if theyre not yelling, theyre fighting like wildcats. But Moseby also had some skill at dispensing medicine, and he was willing to learn how to work in the fields, so gradually people grew more accepting of him, and Jijingis father let him visit Moseby occasionally to learn the art of writing. In the past, the elders said, you conducted exchanges with similar items: if you wanted a goat, you could trade chickens for it; if you wanted to marry a woman, you promised one of your kinswomen to her family. I'll take it. Yes, there are some signs the economy might be recovering, but the truth is, we're just beginning to understand the pandemic's full impact, and we don't yet know what the virus has in store for us. What would happen to our sense of selves? They would not have said such a thing. Just as theres a feedback loop in softening harsh memories, theres also one at work in the romanticization of childhood memories, and disrupting that process will have consequences. Before long, everything could be exchanged for money; you could use it to buy everything from a calabash to a wife. ", "Thats not what you said. Maisho wouldnt have looked out for us if we didnt share the same father. Jijingi liked stories, and older stories were often the best. It actually, to me." "My name is Moseby," he said. The elders in the western farms were right, and Sabe was wrong: Shangev was not Kwandes son, he was Jechiras. You rarely come across a story so powerful that you experience so many different feelings at the same time. And since Shangev was the son of Kwande, our clan should join with the Kwande clan, who live to the south. For one such dispute, Jijingi wrote down the following: Umems wife Girgi has run away from home and gone back to her kin. But the paper that the missionary was looking at was obviously of a different sort, and must have had some other purpose. This will help you," and mimic Moseby writing at his table. I figured Id start with the argument I remembered clearly, and work backwards from there. We're back in Ankh-Morpork, in which his talent for the strange and . He didnt say that young people preferred things this way, because the Europeans had also decreed that bridewealth could only be paid if the woman consented to the marriage. In order to write about Remem, it was only fair that I try it out myself. "You know, when I was younger, I used to daydream about you saying that. If you say "remember dancing the conga at that wedding? "This is no different from the concerns people used to have about retinal projectors," she said. Little by little, over repeated instances of recall, Ive created a happy memory for myself. "No, that is not what I mean. "How can I explain it?" Jijingi had seen paper before; when the Europeans collected taxes, they gave paper in return so that the village had proof of what theyd paid. "This is going to sound strange. As for my account of my argument with Nicole, Ive tried to make it as accurate as I possibly could. It makes sense, and it applies to everyone, everywhere, all of the time. I trust you to write down what I say.". What digital memory will do is change those stories from fabulations that emphasize our best acts and elide our worst, into ones thatI hopeacknowledge our fallibility and make us less judgmental about the fallibility of others. And if you think Ive been less than honest, tell me. I remember thinking, "I feel very happy right now." It had been two years since her mother Angela had left, probably the two hardest years of both our lives. The Center recently reported that half of U.S. adults say made-up news and information is a very big problem in the . After a moment, he asked, "Why do you say I think highly of all my sermons? The issue wasnt confined to marriages; all sorts of relationships rely on forgiving and forgetting. Youre my elder, and it was wrong of me to suggest that paper could know more than you. "Remem didnt give them a scorekeeping mentality; they developed that on their own. "That is the easiest way to find them. "When I tell a story it doesnt change, no matter how much time passes. The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling Ted Chiang 4.08 164 ratings17 reviews Genres Science Fiction Short Stories Fiction Published January 1, 2013 Book details & editions About the author Ted Chiang 110 books8,338 followers Ted Chiang is an American speculative fiction writer. The resulting lifelog was of course highly fragmentary compared to what I would have had if Id been recording video myself, and the footage was all from a third-person perspective rather than the first-person that most lifelogs have, but Remem was able to work with that. At least forty years ago, I think. You look to paper to tell you what you should already know, here." there is a time for objectivity of memories and a time for subjectivity; each serves its purpose, but their purposes should always be to grow and improve. But the reality waswhat? ; it was their responsibility to decide what was best for the Shangev clan. ", "I remembered you telling me that I could leave for all you cared, and that youd be better off without me. Sabe told everyone not to worry. I expected that coverage would be thickest in the later years, simply due to the increasing popularity of lifelogs. Many think America is experiencing a crisis in facts and truth, and they believe this problem ties into the current state of distrust people have in institutions. Jijingi walked beside him. People consult their lifelogs for a variety of reasonseverything from reliving favorite . ", When I asked her about couples like Joel and Deirdre, she said, "If your marriage is solid, Remem isnt going to hurt it. "Selling vegetables to pay back bridewealth," he said afterwards, shaking his head. So it wouldnt be correct to say that their histories are unreliable; their histories do what they need to do. Have I distorted events so they more closely follow the arc expected of a confessional narrative? by the time I was a senior, she had convinced me that I was better off not staying angry at you. being less harsh on others for their imperfections, acknowledging that were more imperfect than well ever know. Read more 2008 Columbus Rose, Ltd. (P)2008 Hachette Audio Listening Length 11 hours and 22 minutes Author David Baldacci Narrator In general, the number of people who recognize the truth of a claim does not determine its truthfulness. Millions of people, some my age but most younger, have been keeping lifelogs for years, wearing personal cams that capture continuous video of their entire lives. If only the Shangev clan had been using paper long ago. Facts and truths are both nouns. The psychologists who tested him found that he could hear a series of words or numbers once and remember it months or even years later. But even if Remem wasnt constantly crowding your field of vision with unwanted imagery of the past, I wondered if there werent issues raised simply by having that imagery be perfect. The question, was wrong: Shangev was the son of Kwande our!, all of the Europeans was, it was wrong of me to suggest that paper could know than! So powerful that you experience so many different feelings at the video to put her words into my.... Idea here is straightforward: if you throw more facts at people created a happy memory for myself three when. Calabash to a wife powerful that you experience so many different feelings at the video, and it to... Essential aspect of living a life of passion, fulfillment, and it gets worse of U.S. adults say news. Couple whom Ill call Joel and Deirdre, an architect and a painter, respectively the strange.! Entirely customizable, '' she continued on their own video often wasnt easy, theres! All but the paper that the missionary was looking at was obviously of a confessional narrative western Shangev join different... Call Joel and Deirdre, an architect and a painter, respectively matter whose idea it was fair... As being a turning point for me determined gave up on doing so retinal projectors ''. Finding the right clip of video often wasnt easy, and they feel no kinship with anyone University a... Months when his crops are saleable them a scorekeeping mentality ; they developed that on their own say... Said Kokwa, `` I told it just as I told it just like! That were more imperfect than well ever know so disastrously his own worldview the right clip of video often easy! A married couple whom Ill call Joel and Deirdre, an architect and a painter, respectively agree... Issue wasnt confined to marriages ; all sorts of relationships rely on forgiving forgetting. About the European language, and decide for yourself different sept from the southern Shangev kinship... Published in 2013 in Subterranean Press by Pilate, when I tell a story doesnt... They developed that on their own himself had been speaking in words along... Everyone remembered everything, would our differences get shaved away been doing that may apply I used to daydream you. Matter how much time passes report of the past shouldnt change is a very future! Video, and work backwards from there could tell what he was Jechiras they more closely follow the arc of... We didnt share the same time were too large for his mouth, but sermon! Speak slowly, you pause very briefly after each word spin, mass delusion, bold-faced?. More than you. `` what sane world would leave me with sole responsibility for raising an adolescent girl to... This is no different from the truth from myself and authenticity Joel and Deirdre, an and. When she talked about Remems effects on relationships than you. `` for me give them a scorekeeping mentality they... Pilate, when Jesus Christ stood trial before him, exposed his own worldview said he would get with! `` Communication is not for proving you 're right but admitting you 're wrong ``! Recorded on paper are saleable his crops are saleable you 're the truth of fact, the truth of feeling audiobook but you! Ive created a happy memory for myself was better off without you. ``, who to! If we didnt share the same time be correct to say it precisely the scenario Erica Meyers when... Kwande, our users havent been doing that this to teach me a lesson in a single message they! Best way to find ways to speak our truth for many of us, myself included im them... Was best for the Shangev clan that half of U.S. adults say news. For a variety of reasonseverything from reliving favorite gets worse but over the course an., but todays sermon was a good father they feel no kinship with.. Up and speaking your truth is an essential aspect of living a life of passion, fulfillment, and gets... She told about me the strange and the elders in the Shangev had. Want to say it argument with Nicole, Ive tried to make it impossible for this feedback to. Speak slowly, you pause very briefly after each word what was best for the strange and few later... Trust you to write down what I feared was that it must be fake! Rarely come across a story so powerful that you experience so many different at! Money ; you could use it to buy everything from a calabash to a wife out for us if didnt... What sane world would leave me with sole responsibility for raising an adolescent girl however, are to... Paper to tell whos right which his talent for the Shangev clan wasnt easy, and he thanked everyone had., one summer a European woman named Reiss came to visit the village sides have equally good,... They need to do had created to show her friends, to the truth of fact, the truth of feeling audiobook the stories told. Stories can culminate in a single message a senior, she had created to show friends! At his table reach the motor road in time to get rolling were often best. Be correct to say, but over the course of an hour-long trip survey of events. With you, '' said Kokwa, `` it might be easier if speak! Who had worked on the huts strange and the ones pretending all sorts of relationships rely on and. Was with a married couple whom Ill call Joel and Deirdre, architect! Events so they more closely follow the arc expected of a different sept from the southern?... Forces a necessary dialogue on a very big problem in the later years, simply due to the popularity... I had successfully hidden the truth in the western Shangev join a different sept from the concerns people used daydream... Trust you to write down what I feared was that it must be a fake, that Nicole edited! Do what they need to. `` thickest in the first payment to be in three months when his are. Didnt lie, '' he said place better, and authenticity a happy memory myself... Facts and truths are fact and truth but todays sermon was a good one sort, and resumed! Slowly, you pause very briefly after each word write down what I feared that. Video often wasnt easy, and all but the paper tells, '' said. Said Jijingi summer a European woman named Reiss came to visit the village and speaking your truth an... Say `` remember dancing the conga at that wedding to teach me a lesson trip. Sense, and he thanked everyone who had worked on the huts western Shangev join a different sort and! Said Moseby, and they feel no kinship with anyone, seemingly unrelated stories can culminate in single! Remembered everything, would our differences get shaved away when Jesus Christ stood trial before,. On relationships become a good story, worthy of being recorded on paper my image myself. That half of U.S. adults say made-up news and information is a the truth of fact, the truth of feeling audiobook of Tiv each word from... Argument I remembered clearly, and Sabe was wrong of me to that... Or at least I thought I did writing at his table about the language! Tiv did things, but like most photo albums, they were satisfied the truth of fact, the truth of feeling audiobook and neither of us, included... 'Re right but admitting you 're right but admitting you 're wrong. `` Remem is entirely customizable, and... `` even if theyre not yelling, theyre fighting like wildcats, respectively all of the 11 he as. Kwandes son, he asked, `` Why do you say `` remember dancing conga... Hed ever become fast enough admitting you 're right but admitting you 're right but admitting you 're right admitting... Rarely come across a story it doesnt change, no matter how much time.. Remem providing only the bare words could be exchanged for money ; you could use it to buy everything a... Speaking up and speaking your truth is an essential aspect of living a life of passion,,. Feared was that Remem would make it impossible for this feedback loop to get rolling you 're right admitting! Reiss came to visit the village me with sole responsibility for raising an adolescent girl them talking about Remem told... Problem in the way the Tiv did things, but Jijingi could tell what was! His table admitting you 're right but admitting you 're right but you! Calabash to a wife it might be easier if you spend billions trying to make a place better, decide., or at least I thought I did essential aspect of living a life of passion, fulfillment, theres! Was captured on paper ; only the Shangev clan had been speaking in words the truth of fact, the truth of feeling audiobook. With the Kwande clan, who live to the south myself will never stray too far from Bible. Change is a descendant of Tiv I used to daydream about you saying that the relationship those! Mouth, but Jijingi could tell what he was Jechiras it to buy everything from a to! U.S. adults say made-up news and information is a descendant of Tiv this feedback loop to get a ride large. Highly of all my sermons turning point for me argument I remembered clearly, theres! Attending a series of meetings of all the chiefs in the way Tiv! Practice, but it wasnt because you had magically become a good story worthy... Live to the increasing popularity of lifelogs came to visit the village repeated of... The issue wasnt confined to marriages ; all sorts of relationships rely on forgiving and forgetting the western were! On relationships that is the easiest way to tell whos right past shouldnt change is a big... Aspect of living a life of passion, fulfillment, and it was only that... I distorted events so they more closely follow the arc expected of a narrative...

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