Truth and Consequence, or Getting the Facts Write
Perhaps distinction should be made of fact and truth. That task is left as an exercise of understanding and not an exercise in bloating commentary. Rather than illuminating all variances, consider that truth has emotional context. Misinformation abuses fact or truth.
My partner says "I am hot", and I say at the same time and in the same place "I am cold"; these announcements are merely truths and the fact that the temperature is 290 Kelvin is not relevant. Even constantly at 290 Kelvin, my partner will complain of being too cold during waking hours and too hot for falling asleep. That both of us are cold when the temperature is 290 Kelvin is misinformation — abusing truth.
Considerable discussion of "free" concepts indicates diversity of those truths but, again, this is not appropriate venue for hosting such discussion; consider only the dearth of factual "free" aspects. Our grocer stocks several conveniently packaged items. Frequently, stock includes packages with advertisement that the shopper will get some free portion of content. Popularly, "free" infers "without obligation of monetary exchange" but, when additional content comes without adding to the purchase price, there is still an obligation of monetary exchange. "Get 10% more free" is misinformation — abusing truth.
Mathematically mischevious misinformation "proves" two equals one.
| Definition : | x = 1 | set x equal to 1 |
| Step 1 | x² = x | multiply both sides by x |
| Step 2 | x² - 1 = x - 1 | subtract 1 from both sides |
| Step 3 | (x - 1)(x + 1) = x - 1 | separate left side into factors |
| Step 4 | x + 1 = 1 | divide both sides by (x - 1) |
| Step 5 | 1 + 1 = 1 | substitute 1 for x |
| Proving | 2 = 1 | Q.E.D. |
Fact is defined. In the above "proof", definition makes Step 4 not factual since division by zero is undefined. This illusion that two equals one is a courtesy of misinformation — abusing fact.
Abuses of fact or truth are often subtle and sometimes intended but always misinformation.
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