GENIUS FORUMS

People exaggerate all the time, don't they? "And he called me like a million times!" "They won't get the job done in eons!" But of course this constant exaggeration inhibits the flow of true information, and turns rational conversations into jokes. I don't believe that this could benefit society in any way, care to elaborate?

it turns rational conversations into FUN.

what is necessary?

RWI wrote:People exaggerate all the time, don't they?

No, that's an exaggeration. But I agree, it could not benefit society in any way. Ever.

(Except in times of war, to get the enemy to believe one's forces are larger than they are. And to get one's people to believe one is winning when the outcome is still in doubt.)

The brain stores energy, and uses many examples to build up energy a bit at a time. By exaggerating it might be that the brain stores some extra energy as though this were a very probable piece of information. We may force someone to receive some strong information by exaggerating it. So long as the information is true then that is quite useful.

The whiskers advert 8 out of 10 owners say that their cats prefer it.

Had to be changed to..

8 out of 10 owners who expressed a preference said that their cats prefer it.

Is probably a good example of how people have tried to use exaggeration to gain sales.

repeat what you just said.