UNSOLICITED ADVICE to my grandchildren, when they are old enough:
Have you ever been told that you see the world in “Manichean terms”? I have, many a time, and with derision. Which sent me on an expeditionary travel down the proverbial rabbit hole to understand exactly what this meant, other than the simplistic dualistic way of seeing things good or evil.
Through a bit of research, historical and theological, I was reminded that it is a heresy: the Episcopal Church has a short description, and the Catholic Church delves deeper into history and philosophy. St. Augustine dappled with it and in it (and no, I don’t mean dabble!).
I realized that if someone tells you you see the world in “Manichean terms”, they are, in essence, sophists looking for an easy and superficial way to insult your intelligence and bring you down. Don’t be fooled and fall for it! Not all of us have the gift of gab, so it can be difficult to have a quick and clever retort. It is especially so for those of us who speak more than 1 language! Trust me on this.
In general, lawyers are always labeled as sophists, because they are seen as engaging in the whys and what-ifs and what-thens, and as the devil’s advocates. Again, it is a superficial rendering of a profession that, although flawed, provides an alternative to war!
However, I also concluded that the reality is that modern-day sophists (who have no clue of the Platonic/Socratic/Protagoras discourses) have no real knowledge: they are just clever users of arguments that are presented as true but are really false, in order to deceive others. (If you like simpler rabbit holes, check Britannica).
They are obfuscators, who know how to lie and confuse with great finesse, use clever words, ominous labels, or grandiose terminology because they know the average person may not necessarily understand the whole context.
In other words, they are what the Argentines used to call “chantapufis”. So there! There’s nothing new under the sun…
Dum Spiro Spero 