Have police ever questioned me about a murder in which I knew I did not take part? Not that I recall. Can I be sure I wouldn’t change my story if I were questioned about such a thing? Yes, if the word “sure” is used in an ordinary sense.
Anyway, some part of me says that if you lie to the police when they question you about a murder in which you know I did not take part, then you are a dick and/or an idiot and if you end up in jail that serves you right and I hope you spend your time there reading this post over and over again until you intimately understand it. (But another part of me suggests that police interrogations could temporarily turn me into a dick and/or an idiot even if I previously wasn’t and therefore I shouldn’t gloat this much.)
Maybe the typical-mind-fallacy is typical, but I don’t think I’ve demonstrated it here. Rhetorically, yes, I spoke of what “I personally” would do, and I emphasized the point with a sort of quasi-mathematical use of the word “zero.” After that, I remarked as follows: “Story-changing by someone caught in a trap is a significant element of the human condition ….”
That statement seems valid. Although no examples come to my mind, the storylines of many pieces of fiction, I think, turn on such story-changing, whose significance the author feels no need to explain. Its significance lies in empathy, precisely the sort of empathy that the author of the present essay presumes to lecture about, so to speak, when he asks whether we’ve thought what a ride like the one Knox took to jail after her initial conviction is like. Because the typical person imagines such a ride well enough to want to avoid it, he or she reacts to story-changing. He or she knows that story-changing on his or her own part would be born only of incompetence in avoiding admitting guilt. He or she knows that he or she would carefully avoid story-changing, to avoid inviting such a ride.
Although no examples come to my mind, the storylines of many pieces of fiction, I think, turn on such story-changing, whose significance the author feels no need to explain.
Detective fiction isn’t exactly known for its realism.
Detective fiction isn’t exactly known for its realism.
Whether that’s true, I didn’t use the phrase detective fiction. If you’re suggesting that the significance of story-changing in a fictional narrative would be lost on you, I would say you’re probably mistaken.
Even assuming you’re right about yourself, beware of generalizing from one example to other people.
Anyway, some part of me says that if you lie to the police when they question you about a murder in which you know I did not take part, then you are a dick and/or an idiot and if you end up in jail that serves you right and I hope you spend your time there reading this post over and over again until you intimately understand it. (But another part of me suggests that police interrogations could temporarily turn me into a dick and/or an idiot even if I previously wasn’t and therefore I shouldn’t gloat this much.)
Maybe the typical-mind-fallacy is typical, but I don’t think I’ve demonstrated it here. Rhetorically, yes, I spoke of what “I personally” would do, and I emphasized the point with a sort of quasi-mathematical use of the word “zero.” After that, I remarked as follows: “Story-changing by someone caught in a trap is a significant element of the human condition ….”
That statement seems valid. Although no examples come to my mind, the storylines of many pieces of fiction, I think, turn on such story-changing, whose significance the author feels no need to explain. Its significance lies in empathy, precisely the sort of empathy that the author of the present essay presumes to lecture about, so to speak, when he asks whether we’ve thought what a ride like the one Knox took to jail after her initial conviction is like. Because the typical person imagines such a ride well enough to want to avoid it, he or she reacts to story-changing. He or she knows that story-changing on his or her own part would be born only of incompetence in avoiding admitting guilt. He or she knows that he or she would carefully avoid story-changing, to avoid inviting such a ride.
Detective fiction isn’t exactly known for its realism.
Whether that’s true, I didn’t use the phrase detective fiction. If you’re suggesting that the significance of story-changing in a fictional narrative would be lost on you, I would say you’re probably mistaken.