re: Further From The Truth? page 2

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re: Further From The Truth? page 2

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We are surrounded by our civilization, hardly recognizing to what extent that is the case. It's everyone's conviction that things have been pretty much as they are now, allowing only perhaps for very minor variations. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are living at this moment somewhere along the life span of a civilization, which will some day decline and die, to be replaced by another in which all that we believed and accomplished will seem strange and and old-fashioned.
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I'm not sure I really understand what the author is trying to say by 'Nothing could be further from the truth' here. Can you help me?

Sep 02 2006 15:01:47

Comments (Page 2)

It is similar to the more informal construction "I couldn't care less." I care as little about this as possible, so I can't care even less than that. Like Nona's scale - 5 means I care a great deal, 1 means I don't care at all. I'm a 1 - I care as little as possible, so there is nothing about which I could care less. If you're familiar with THAT usage, than this "further from the truth" thing may be easier to think about that way.

Sep 02 2006 19:06:14

Continuing what Nona said:

Truth: at zero distance from reality
let's say you're moving at 1, 2, 3, 4 (miles, kms) ... going away from it
you're going into the domain of lies
the further you go.

Sep 02 2006 19:08:21

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I think I understand now. Thank you, people.

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Nona The BritThis doesn't say that 'it' is not further from the truth.

MH said:

Marius HancuIf you say that something could not be further from the truth, you are saying that what has been suggested is not true:

I'm certainly not in love with him -- nothing could be further from the truth!

so I was confused.

Sep 03 2006 04:29:56

Got it. Thank you nona the brit.

Sep 03 2006 07:56:57

I know negatives can be confusing but Marius was perfectly correct. Saying that something 'is not further from the truth' is not the same as 'could not be further from the truth'.

try this.

Jim is not far from the shop. (Jim is close to the shop).

Jim is not further from the shop. (Perhaps there was an argument with Fred who thinks he lives closer to the shop than Jim, but someone disagrees. Jim is not further from the shop (than Fred)).

Jim could not be further from the shop. (Jim is a very long way away from the shop, in fact, he couldn't get further away if he tried. He must be on the other side of the world!).

Sep 03 2006 09:59:28

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Hmm, the problem seems to be not in the negatives themselves,
but in 'is not --er' vs 'could not be --er'...

Sep 03 2006 10:51:12

Crystal clear. 😊

Apr 12 2015 09:06:09

Great! totally got it. Thanks

Jan 19 2016 09:16:49

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It is similar to the more informal construction "I couldn't care less." I care as little about this as possible, so I can't care even less than that. Like Nona's scale - 5 means I care a great deal, 1 means I don't care at all. I'm a 1 - I care as little as possible, so there is nothing about which I could care less. If you're familiar with THAT usage, than this "further from the truth" thing may be easier to think about that way.
Continuing what Nona said:

Truth: at zero distance from reality
let's say you're moving at 1, 2, 3, 4 (miles, kms) ... going away from it
you're going into the domain of lies
the further you go.
I think I understand now. Thank you, people.

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Nona The BritThis doesn't say that 'it' is not further from the truth.

MH said:
Marius HancuIf you say that something could not be further from the truth, you are saying that what has been suggested is not true:

I'm certainly not in love with him -- nothing could be further from the truth!

so I was confused.
I know negatives can be confusing but Marius was perfectly correct. Saying that something 'is not further from the truth' is not the same as 'could not be further from the truth'.

try this.

Jim is not far from the shop. (Jim is close to the shop).

Jim is not further from the shop. (Perhaps there was an argument with Fred who thinks he lives closer to the shop than Jim, but someone disagrees. Jim is not further from the shop (than Fred)).

Jim could not be further from the shop. (Jim is a very long way away from the shop, in fact, he couldn't get further away if he tried. He must be on the other side of the world!).
Hmm, the problem seems to be not in the negatives themselves,
but in 'is not --er' vs 'could not be --er'...

re: Further From The Truth? page 2

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