Showing posts with label Paltering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paltering. Show all posts

Nov 25, 2017

Wordology, Paltering

Misleading by "telling the truth" is so pervasive in daily life that a new term has recently been coined to describe it: paltering.

It is so widespread that some are trying to determine insight into the grey area between truth and lies. We lie all the time, despite the fact that it costs us considerably more mental effort to lie than to tell the truth.
Researchers were looking at how often politicians dodge questions during debates and soon realized something else was going on. By stating another truthful fact, they could get out of answering a question. They could even imply something was truthful when it was not.

Individuals who had been deceived do not distinguish between lying and paltering. Although communicators think that when disclosed, it will be ethical, but listeners still see it as a lie.


Beware if someone does not answer a question directly. Be doubly aware if they state any fact (related or not) rather than answer a question. A preponderance of politicians palter!