When I hear a public official about to give their opinion on a clearly arguable matter and they prefix their statement with the ridiculously overused term ‘the reality is...’, my blood pressure begins to rise, my stomach twists and knots, and one of my eyes starts to twitch.
Why is this? Does this happen to other people? Is it because that like me these people have no grip on exactly what reality is?
Mr Key has a tendency to say this often, way too often! Although I grant it would unfair to just blame him as it seems to be coming thick and fast from all parts of the political sphere, here and overseas.
It seems to me that their reality differs from each others and mine. In fact putting the word ‘the’ before reality is a big clue that someone is up to no good. After hearing it so often I believe I have worked out what is meant by it. ‘The reality is...’ really be means ‘It’s true because I bloody say so!’
Surely there are some philosophers out there who are also annoyed by this lazy wordplay. Are there any physicists out there who could join me in indignation of this arrogant perception that their definition of reality is right? The Queen of Hearts yells ‘Your way! All ways are my way. Off with her head!’ She could have just said ‘the reality is all ways are my ways’.
So please join me at yelling ‘hubris’ at the TV and the radio when one of our elected officials tries to define your or my reality.
- Robin Hartley
