Episodic memory will become entirely technologically mediated. ; I handed off the research Id done to a colleague, and she wrote a fine piece about the pros and cons of the software, a dispassionate article free from all the soul-searching and angst that would have saturated anything I submitted. I cant tell you how sorry I am. "But they did! ", "But what Anongo said wasnt the same as what the witness said.". Votes: 1 Henry A. Wallace It's not a lie if you don't tell the truth.But it's fucked up if you falsify the fact. Writing let you look at your thoughts in a way you couldnt if you were just talking, and having seen them, you could improve them, make them stronger and more elaborate. The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling Ted Chiang 4.08 164 ratings17 reviews Genres Science Fiction Short Stories Fiction Published January 1, 2013 Book details & editions About the author Ted Chiang 110 books8,338 followers Ted Chiang is an American speculative fiction writer. Instead, Ive written this. "Perhaps. ", "Fine, you were right that time," said Joel. One of my favorites of Ted Chiangs. This accessible guide helps you fight this deeply troubling trend and ensure that truth is not a permanent casualty. ", "Right." "Making information more accessible is an intrinsic good," she says. He seemed to disapprove of the beer drinking, but he didnt want to speak on one of the days of work, so the day of beer brewing was the only one left. The first short story reveals near future technologies could limit our abilities. Now, that fact doesn't tell the whole story of Afghanistan, of course, but we shouldn't ignore that fact. Years. An obvious drawback to such reliance is the possibility that people might become virtual amnesiacs whenever the software crashes. "Of course, Sabe, of course," said Kokwa, but he threw a derisive glance at Jijingi. Jijingi here has learned to write; he can act as our scribe, and you can send your boy to another village." Are. As far as the camera was concerned, that afternoon with my grandmother would be indistinguishable from a hundred others. I expected that coverage would be thickest in the later years, simply due to the increasing popularity of lifelogs. ", "Because you expect that people will want to read them many years from now. Youre a scribe because Maisho of the Kwande clan warned me about the boys from the mission school. Jijingi watched the missionary with curiosity. In order to write about Remem, it was only fair that I try it out myself. Its obvious were fighting. The main idea here is straightforward: If you throw more facts at people . I didnt remember who else was sitting at the table, and wondered if Remem could help me identify them. He would use them as tinder for the cooking fire. I conceded that she may have had a point in this particular case. Right now each of us is a private oral culture. He knew it wasnt for people far away to read them, because sometimes messengers came to the village to deliver paper to Moseby, and he never sent his sermons back with them. Within the nested video, Joel and Deirdre are sitting in a caf, and Joel is saying, "Hes a scapegoat. ", "You write them all down before you even deliver them. Shes smart and dedicated to her job at an art museum when she could be earning more money elsewhere, and Ive always been proud of her accomplishments. Gbegba was able to look at the ground and know what had happened even though he had not been present. [The Correspondence Theory] Hence we are driven back to correspondence with fact as constituting the nature of truth. The elders in the western farms were right, and Sabe was wrong: Shangev was not Kwandes son, he was Jechiras. ", Sabe shrugged. "I want to be sure I give my sermons as well as possible. Technologies of literacy, technologies of memory. Now I have proof. The elders from the west are merely pretending that Shangev was Jechiras son because theyd benefit from joining with the Jechira clan, "But if the Shangev clan joined with the Kwande clan, wouldnt your elders benefit? Fact-checkers aim to get closer to the truth, but their biases can shroud the very truth they seek. He tried to help, but it quickly became clear that he didnt know how to do anything, so eventually he just sat in the shade of a locust bean tree and wiped his head with a piece of cloth. The first occurs in the near-future where a journalist is questioning the effects of an additional technology to the "lifelogs" that most people wear - instead of just recording moments from your life, Remem allows individuals to search and automatically locate specific moments from their lengthy video volumes. In a dispute the principals say what they consider right; they speak, . I didnt mention that not everyone considered that a positive development. I am here to tell you that you have made more than you think, that, some of the core assumptions on which your self-image is built are actually lies. We cant prevent the adoption of digital memory any more than oral cultures could stop the arrival of literacy, so the best I can do is look for something positive in it. He looked at Jijingi seriously. As I said earlier, we are made of stories, and nothing can change that. You rarely come across a story so powerful that you experience so many different feelings at the same time. Sabe requested witnesses for both sides. "I agree," said Jijingi. Jijingi realized that Moseby wrote down his sermons not because his memory was terrible, but because, he was looking for a specific arrangement of words. I figured Id start with the argument I remembered clearly, and work backwards from there. Today's media and political landscapes are littered with untrustworthy sources and the dangerous concept of fake news. the state or character of being true. Im sorry. ", "Im not asking the clan to trust me. When I raised the possibility that a perfect memory might be a handicap to Whetstones spokesperson, Erica Meyers, she had a ready reply. "This was written long ago, when the Europeans first came here. "I remember," said Jijingi. The sounds that came from a persons mouth hadnt changed, but he understood them differently; he was aware of the pieces from which the whole was made. It was a calibrated escalation from an average of . The hare favors one food, the hippo favors another. Insanely well written and forces a necessary dialogue on a very possible future. Written records are subject to every kind of error and their interpretation is subject to change, but at least the words on the page remain fixed, and there is real merit in that. But many of the specific details Ive described are invented. But it wasnt because you had magically become a good father. In the past, the elders said, you conducted exchanges with similar items: if you wanted a goat, you could trade chickens for it; if you wanted to marry a woman, you promised one of your kinswomen to her family. The window displays the kitchen of the house we lived in when Nicole was growing up. The witnesses, however, are sworn to say precisely what happened; they speak, . The singular forms of facts and truths are fact and truth. I'll take it. If you say "remember dancing the conga at that wedding? My retinal projector displayed a window in the lower left corner of my field of vision: Im having lunch with my friends Vincent and Jeremy. We rewrite our pasts to suit our needs and support the story we tell about ourselves. Would you like that?". She sent me the video of one argument she had with Joel. "What is your name? "Very many." I thought back to what Erica Meyers said about Remems inability to hurt solid marriages. But you need to leave spaces when you write.". seriously interesting story read for a critical practice class, Notes: wonderful. Related Standard "I cant change the things I did, but at least I can stop pretending I didnt do them. "Have you studied paper so much that youve forgotten what it is to be Tiv?". , and so on. The truth about my behavior wont be presented to me by someone else, making me defensive; it wont even be something Ill discover as a private shock, prompting a reevaluation. ", "Thatd almost be funny if it werent so sad. The elders from the western farms would undoubtedly argue that the assessment report supported their position, prolonging a debate that had already gone too long. For years parents have been recording their childrens every moment, so even if children werent wearing personal cams, their lifelogs were effectively already being compiled. Have I distorted events so they more closely follow the arc expected of a confessional narrative? Under those specific circumstances, English becomes a bit like a second language to her, one that she can speak fluently but can only barely write. It actually, to me." The dusty harmattan winds had just begun blowing from the north when Sabe, the elder who was regarded as chief by all the local families, made the announcement. "You are my kin, Jijingi, and kin to everyone in this village. He pointed at his own paper. If you read the words "the first Szechuan restaurant you ate at," your vocal cords will move as if youre reading aloud, and Remem will bring up the relevant video. Repetition makes a fact seem more true, regardless of whether it is or not. "It is strange, isnt it? Votes: 1 Toba Beta The American fascists are most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth and fact. How much of what had happened since then could I take credit for? . But just as worrying to me as the prospect of technological failure was that of technological success: how will it change a persons conception of herself when shes only seen her past through the unblinking eye of a video camera? "You are free to do as you wish, but I believe it will do more harm than good to show that paper to others.". ", That was a good point, Jijingi admitted. the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth. I rewound the video and started watching the preceding argument. By fixing every detail of an insult in indelible video, it could prevent the softening thats needed for forgiveness to begin. In the land I come from, many people write down their lineage on paper. The group chose 3 of them and this one here is not in the list. "Millions of people, some my age but most younger, have been keeping lifelogs for years, wearing personal cams that capture continuous video of their entire lives. I knew it wasnt premeditated malice on her partI dont think she engaged in much premeditation in anything during that phase of her lifebut she couldnt have come up with a more hurtful accusation if shed tried. Now Whetstone aims to change all of that; they claim Remems algorithms can search the entire haystack by the time youve finished saying "needle.". The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling by Ted Chiang My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sci-Fi Indonesia group in Goodreads chose Ted Chiang's works for buddy read this month. Jijingi carefully copied the writing on his sheet of paper, and when he was done, Moseby would look at it. Earlier I said that the details we choose to remember are a reflection of our personalities. That was the only explanation, right? Now a woman could marry the man she favored, as long as he could afford to pay the bridewealth. And while I thought Id been doing a good job of being a father, obviously I needed to do better. Did the Europeans make them liars? It was a good story, worthy of being recorded on paper. "Why, then?" I predict the latter scenario will be the more common one with our customers as a whole. In fact, I suspect I no longer remember the day itself. Facta statement in accordance with reality. There are many reasons why sometimes fiction is a way more enjoyable and personal reading experience than the truth. Moseby gave a sermon every seven days, on the day devoted to resting and brewing and drinking beer. The Center recently reported that half of U.S. adults say made-up news and information is a very big problem in the . In the evening after Jijingi had returned, Moseby asked him what it had been like. "Yes," Jijingi said, just to be polite; it made no sense at all. ", When I asked her about couples like Joel and Deirdre, she said, "If your marriage is solid, Remem isnt going to hurt it. ", "Nonsense," said Kokwa. It is a lovely, idyllic memory. I remember thinking, "I feel very happy right now." Jijingi spoke very slowly, the way a man might when trying to hide his drunkenness. But if youre the type of person whos constantly trying to prove that youre right and your spouse is wrong, then your marriage is going to be in trouble whether you use Remem or not.". Bullshitters, Frankfurt argues, are distinct from liars, because liars at least know what the truth is, even though they choose to contradict it. A former slave, Sojourner Truth became an outspoken advocate for abolition, temperance, and civil and women's rights in the nineteenth century. Who hasnt wished they could prove that their version of events was the correct one? "Of course I do." Itll be as if childhood amnesia is a characteristic of humanitys childhood, and in ouroboric fashion, our youth will vanish from our memories. He had come to trust what was written on paper over what was said by people, and that wasnt the Tiv way. Its more likely that I manufactured the memory when I was first shown the snapshots and over time, Ive imbued it with the emotion I imagine I felt that day. I want to point out there were a few written languages in africa (like nsibidi n is now called Nigeria), anyway an interesting story. Remem is merely the first of a new generation of memory prostheses, and as these products gain widespread adoption, we will be replacing our malleable organic memories with perfect digital archives. A fact is something that's indisputable, based on empirical research and quantifiable measures. "Forgive and forget" goes the expression, and for our idealized magnanimous selves, that was all you needed. The point is not to prove you were right; the point is to admit you were wrong, Because all of us have been wrong on various occasions, engaged in cruelty and hypocrisy, and weve forgotten most of those occasions. "You deserve better," I said. If wed had Remem, would we still be speaking to each other? "Youre the reason she left. So I had indeed fabricated a narrative that bore little resemblance to reality. How much personal insight can I claim if I cant trust my memory? Thats why you and I got along so well at graduation. Here's one recommended by Alex, available online. "Our language has two words for what in your language is called true. There is whats right, . But when Whetstone released its new search tool Remem, it raised concerns for me in a way none of its predecessors did. He found him on the path leading to a neighboring farm; some neighbors had stopped Sabe to have him settle a dispute over how a nanny goats kids should be distributed. Businesses become more effective when they adopt good record-keeping practices. But Whetstone is positioning Remem as more than a handy virtual assistant: they want it to take the place of your natural memory. I would rate this as one of his best stories. ", "No, I can teach it to you. This was extraordinary. I had imagined a narrative of redemption and self-improvement in which I was the heroic single father, rising to meet the challenge. The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling. ", "Not delusional. ", Jijingi looked at the paper. Now parents are having their children wear retinal projectors at younger and younger ages so they can reap the benefits of assistive software agents sooner. "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" is a science fiction story by American writer Ted Chiang. "Is this what you think is important, now that youve learned the art of writing? ", "A sermon is different from conversation." One evening Kokwa, the best storyteller in the village, told the story of how the Tiv people split into different lineages, and Reiss had written it down exactly as he told it. Lifelogs are the most complete photo album imaginable, but like most photo albums, they lie dormant except on special occasions. Jijingi had never seen so many elders in one place before; some were even-tempered and dignified like Sabe, while others were loud and full of bluster. Did it really matter whose idea it was to take the vacation that turned out so disastrously? Whats important to me about that memory is the happiness I associated with it, and I wouldnt want that jeopardized. ", "Anongo didnt lie," said Jijingi. being less harsh on others for their imperfections, acknowledging that were more imperfect than well ever know. They are I do not know what you call them." Later she had recopied the story using a machine she poked at noisily with her fingers, so that she had a copy that was clean and easy to read. The missionary wasnt old enough to be senile, but his memory must be terrible and he didnt want to admit it. At first discussing its effects on wider society, his usage of Remem causes the article to be entangled with his personal life, especially his relationship with his daughter. ", "It is an art that we Europeans know. This doesnt mean Ive changed my mind about the downsides of digital memory; there are many, and people need to be aware of them. ", "No, youre right, Im sorry." Here was the line at which the pursuit of truth ceased to be an intrinsic good. They argued for hours on end. Excerpts from the short story "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" by Ted Chiang It was the summer of Jijingis thirteenth year when a European came to live in the village. She and I had many furious arguments during her teen years, arguments that we have mostly been able to put behind us, and now our relationship is pretty good. When the only persons affected have a personal relationship with each other, other priorities are often more important, and a forensic pursuit of the truth could be harmful. ", "Its all right, Dad. "To ensure that he said precisely what happened. But nowwell, its not as if it fixes everything, is it?". But this is a good story. He picked up a thin sheaf of paper from his table and flipped through it. Anyway. Youre probably thinking that, while your memory isnt perfect, youve never engaged in revisionism of the magnitude Im guilty of. She asked questions of everyone, not just the elders but young men, too, even women and children, and she wrote down everything they told her. Sabe instructs Anongo to repay Umem 11, the first payment to be in three months when his crops are saleable. People consult their lifelogs for a variety of reasonseverything from reliving favorite moments to tracking down the cause of allergic reactionsbut only intermittently; no one wants to spend all their time formulating queries and sifting through the results. All the elders agree on that. "If you speak slowly, you pause very briefly after each word. I abandoned the article I was planning to write about. When Sabe has heard what happened can he decide what action is, for everyone. ", They worried that seeing updates constantly would be distracting or overwhelming, but weve all adapted to them. Only the elders could determine what was. Justlets not do it again for a while, okay? he asked. It makes sense, and it applies to everyone, everywhere, all of the time. ", "Sorry you said it, or sorry that you imagined me saying it? It used to drive me crazy, because. If Batur and Iorkyaha were here, they would agree with me that we should join with the Kwande clan. In the past, a young woman might be promised to an old man with leprous hands and rotting teeth, and have no choice but to marry him. Youre my elder, and it was wrong of me to suggest that paper could know more than you. I could easily see myself using Remem the way Deirdre did, and I wasnt at all certain that doing so would be good for me. But those men arent here. But why was she still so angry at me, that she would do such a thing? The only way you can judge is by comparing my account against the recordings themselves, so Im doing something I never thought Id do: with Nicoles permission, I am granting public access to my lifelog, such as it is. He himself had been speaking in words all along. I turned myself around. I realized that Id been hoping she would forgive me then and there, and then everything would be good. So it hasnt been my habit to engage in doomsaying whenever a new product is announced; Ive welcomed new technology as much as anyone. I could readily imagine a situation where, if you ask a young person what her earliest memory is, she will simply look baffled; after all, she has video dating back to the day of her birth. "Cant you tell the Europeans about this? But, I asked her, didnt she think Remem created greater opportunities for those types of arguments to arise, even in solid marriages, by making it easier for people to keep score? But, writing the words down does more than help me remember. How liars create the . ", "Do you think they might have written down anything about the Shangev clans lineage when they first arrived? He talked about the European god, and told people that following his rules would improve their lives, but his explanations of how that would do so werent particularly persuasive. What digital memory will do is change those stories from fabulations that emphasize our best acts and elide our worst, into ones thatI hopeacknowledge our fallibility and make us less judgmental about the fallibility of others. "We Shangev all have one father, so we should all remain together. And, if Id grown up with access to all the video footage, thered have been no way for me to assign more emotional weight to any particular day. ", That would be impressive, if true. At least I had volunteered for this duty, albeit long ago and without full appreciation for what I was getting into. 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