Re: "Shared" procedure division code


On 2-Aug-2005, docdwarf@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> 'Belief' is one of those funny, murky yet commonly-used words - like
> 'know' or 'understand' - that, every so often, it might be good to dust
> off and re-examine. I alluded to Wittgenstein earlier with a mathematical
> reference; he asked something along the lines of:
>
> 'What is the function of 'belief' in the following exchange:
>
> 'What's five times five?'
>
> 'Twenty-five... I believe.'

It's possible that you are saying that you're not confident of the results.
But we see many cases where if you accuse a True Believer of not being confident
in his Belief that he will deny it.

Or it could be that the "I believe" adds nothing at all to the content of the
statement. That does happen.

This sub-thread started with the observation that one should say "I believe this
is stupid" instead of "this is stupid".

What would the function of "I believe" be in that observation? To indicate (as
in one of my guesses to your question), that his belief isn't strong? That's
pretty presumptuous.

It seems to me that it might be more of a "if you say anything that might be
deemed insulting, cover your buttocks with extraneous words to blunt your
desired effect".
.