Timeline for Truly unthinkable
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
6 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2022 at 22:23 | comment | added | Trylks | I agree, that is why I am asking. I like "utterly incomprehensible". The previous title could be better: "How to describe something too far away from comprehension to cause confusion?" "Unthinkable" is not an absolute concept as you mention, though. The word has no use as an absolute concept because we cannot think of (absolutely) unthinkable ideas to regularly use the word with that meaning (except, perhaps, in cosmic horror). | |
| Aug 23, 2022 at 19:08 | comment | added | David | @Trylks — I think the confusion is caused by non-native speakers who draw wrong conclusions about the meaning/usage of words from a simplistic analysis of their components. The meaning of “unthinkable” is unambiguous to native speakers. There have been several suggestions for English words or phrases to express the idea you appear to have in mind. You would be well advised to drop “truly” because it is not essential to your question and creates — in my mind at least — the impression of someone who does not choose his words with sufficient care. | |
| Aug 23, 2022 at 11:36 | comment | added | Trylks | Well, morally unthinkable and cognitively unthinkable are different. People may be confused by unthinkable or incomprehensible ideas, but they would not be confused by supraliminal ideas, which cannot be perceived to cause confusion. There are clear distinctions between groups of ideas; the words to describe them are not so clear, in my opinion. | |
| Aug 23, 2022 at 8:00 | comment | added | David | @Trylks — Nice try, but there’s no similarity. Here “truly” is being used as an intensifier instead of the simpler neutral “most”. But the point is that “unthinkable” is an absolute concept that neither needs or allows an intensifier. Shades of “slightly pregnant”. | |
| Aug 22, 2022 at 23:39 | comment | added | Trylks | Well, yes but actually no. It is similar to known unknowns and unknown unknowns. So it is like thinkable unthinkable and unthinkable unthinkable. Which on second reading is silly, but there has to be a better way to say it. | |
| Aug 22, 2022 at 19:28 | history | answered | David | CC BY-SA 4.0 |