Lately, words like "cham-gyoyuk" (real education/true discipline) and "gae-sori" (bullshit) are frequently heard in education and politics. Prefixes like "cham-" appear in words like cham-sarang (true love), cham-mal (truth), and cham-gireum (real sesame oil)... whereas "gae-" appears in words like gae-teol (dog hair/useless fur), gae-salgu (wild apricot/worthless apricot), gae-tteok (rough rice cake), and gae-mangcho (fleabane/weed)... In our language, single-syllable prefixes that vividly show value judgment and linguistic flavor are "cham-" and "gae-". These two prefixes clearly reveal the character and value of their objects. "Cham-" adds the essential positive meaning of "real, genuine, correct, and good." On the other hand, "gae-" traditionally denotes negative meanings such as "inferior, wild, and close to fake."

We use expressions like "gae-sori" (dog talk) and "gae-naval" (dog's rambling) to mean "nonsense" or "bullshit."

From an evolutionary perspective, just as the ability to accurately convey facts was advantageous for survival, the ability to exaggerate oneself to appear stronger and more competent than reality also provided certain benefits in competitive situations. Nonsense is closely tied to the limited cognitive capacity of humans. People are not adept at accurately recognizing their own ignorance. In terms of communication, human conversation serves purposes beyond mere information delivery, including maintaining relationships, sharing emotions, humor, and easing tension. Therefore, bragging or joking might be nonsense strictly in terms of factual accuracy. However, this contributes to building social intimacy. The problem arises when such talk invades the realm of factual claims. The reason nonsense in modern society is more dangerous than in the past lies precisely in the repetition of this "sophisticated packaging."

Especially in the realm of politics, nonsense produces even more severe consequences. A politician's words are not private chatters; they are public language that influences policies, public opinion, and group identity.

At this point, we can recall the distinction between a "lie" and "bullshit" made by philosopher Harry Frankfurt. A liar at least knows what the truth is and tries to conceal it. In contrast, for someone who talks bullshit, the distinction between truth and falsehood is not important at all. What matters more is how effective their words are and how plausible they sound. Therefore, the essential danger of bullshit lies not in falsehood, but in "indifference to the truth."

Ultimately, nonsense and bullshit are both flaws of human language and mirrors reflecting human existence. Humans are rational beings yet influenced by prejudices and desires; they are beings who speak the truth while simultaneously being word-swindlers who spin stories advantageous to themselves. Therefore, what a mature society must do is foster the ability to access and discern facts. We need the habit of asking: "What is the evidence?", "Is it verifiable?", and "Are we confusing the certainty of a claim with the accuracy of a fact?"

The depth of a civilization is not measured by how few nonsense and bullshit exist in the world. Rather, it depends on how many citizens refuse to let go of the lantern of reason to the end, sorting out truth from belief, and argument from rhetoric, amidst the endless flood of words.

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