not just 2, not just 3, but 4 ways people relate to truth

My father once told me there were two types of people in the world:

- truth-tellers
- liars

Later on I learned that there were two other types. One being

- bullshitters

These are people who don't care whether the things they say are true or false. They say things for utility-effect only.

what about the 4th group?
Even today few seem to get that there are also

- unconscious frauds

These are people who care about truth, but whose livelihood depends on telling lies. Trained or self-trained, over time these people suppress their knowledge of some truth, and tell more and more lies.

These frauds are almost always believed, because they believe what they are saying

"It's not a lie if you believe it"

Typically, unconscious frauds run in packs, or professions, and/or have institutional power behind them.

telling these groups apart
Sophisticated people can tell apart liars, bullshitters and truth-tellers just by looking at them talk. But to detect an unconscious fraud requires looking somewhat at the content being talked about. This means reading, or other work, sometimes hard work.

books
- a praised book about Bullshitters.

- a little-known book about "innocent frauds". I haven't read it, but it sounds like the same group.

please remember
The unconscious frauds are sometimes the way they are because of ego, or habit. This means if -in the process of distinquishing these 4 types of people -you politicize things, you could easily find yourself blind to those who share your political goals.

as great a player as he is, he should change careers

T.O has great potential as a human being. He has almost never used his somewhat-rare courage, and overall vision.

Owens himself has glimpsed that football wastes some his talents -- in my opinion this is what was happening in Owens' confrontations with Andy Reid.

Many people in the world -of course - are never exposed to the ideas that will allow to see the way forward that is best for them. Authoritarianism can contribute to these minor tragedies. Even though participation in football helps more people than it limits, like others before him Owens has lost something by spending his life with this sub-culture that over-emphasizes obedience and loyalty.

I guess making it worse for Owens has been playing under the warped Bill Parcells, who is a kind of genius-promoter of a stunting philosophy.

T.O. should change professions, at least for a while. He could begin anew in talk radio. And even though I love Texas ... not in that state. Within a few years Owens could even go back to sports as a commentater. If he could manage to be exposed to nurturant values & ideas for a few years, Owens could end up far more interesting (and good for the sport) than the douchebags and the imagination-free fascists that make up so much of network football coverage.

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I have a similar opinion of Randy Moss, btw. Both Moss and Owens could have been great men. But the West crushes kids with libertarian-anarchist instincts, especially black kids. Some end up playing football, and many fans decide these players' troubles with authority are flaws. But this is only half the story.

A limited analogy: just as Jimi Hendrix did not belong in the military, Owens does not belong in football.