on certainty 41

41. “I know where I am feeling pain”, “I know that I feel it here” is as wrong as “I know that I am in pain”. But “I know where you touched my arm” is right.

the preface ‘I know’ – adds nothing to any assertion –

nothing except rhetoric –

best to drop it altogether

‘I know’ is a claim to authority –

the only authority is authorship –

any claim to an authority beyond authorship – is false –

if it has rhetorical effect –

that effect is based on deception

‘I am feeling pain’ –  ‘I feel it here’ – ‘I am in pain’ –

and ‘you touched my arm’ –

these statements are neither right or wrong –

how they are used –

how they function – how they are understood –

how they are evaluated –

is a question of circumstance

is a matter of uncertainty

© greg t. charlton. 2009.