# No Questioning the Truth - or Something...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [June 29, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199 "2013-06-29T12:21:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199/21 "2013-07-02T19:05:26Z")

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> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#):
>
> Well, please note the difference between saying that “You’ve spilled soup on your shirt” and saying that “You are clumsy.” The one is about a specific incident, and a specific situation; the other is broad and implies a continued pattern of behavior. The same with “That statement is untrue” and “You are a liar.” I hope that we don’t have to give up that distinction; in formal debates, it’s the clear rule, and it makes a lot of sense if we want to have (reasonably) civil discussions.

But if you’re spilling soup on your shirt three or four times a meal on an ongoing basis, at some point I feel I should be able to acknowledge a pattern exists and say you are clumsy. I’m thinking of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=601559) as an example.

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199/22 "2013-07-02T20:24:56Z")

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But I don’t see that this is what it was. To beat your analogy to death, **tomndebb** was saying “you may not point out any more instances of people spilling soup on themselves”. He didn’t say “no calling people clumsy” or “no pointing out the pattern”. Nobody was pointing out a pattern.

OTOH I doubt we are ever going to get an explanation of the distinction between saying “that statement isn’t true” and denying the accuracy of a statement. I don’t think it can be made to make sense.

Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199/23 "2013-07-02T21:48:22Z")

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> [@Shodan](#):
>
> OTOH I doubt we are ever going to get an explanation of the distinction between saying “that statement isn’t true” and denying the accuracy of a statement.

That’s not true.

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**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199/24 "2013-07-02T23:15:38Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> > [@Shodan](#):
> >
> > OTOH I doubt we are ever going to get an explanation of the distinction between saying “that statement isn’t true” and denying the accuracy of a statement.
> 
> That’s not true.

Which might make folks wonder just why you said it.

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199/25 "2013-07-03T13:18:03Z")

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I took it to mean he was accusing me of spilling soup on my shirt.

Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-questioning-the-truth-or-something/662199/26 "2013-07-03T13:30:06Z")

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No soup for YOU!

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