‘Caveat Emptor’ means the buyer can not recover costs from the seller for defects that render a property unfit, unless the seller actively makes misrepresentations amounting to fraud. Applying this to advice given in these pages mean that you, the reader, are responsible for any advice you take, not the giver, unless he knowingly gives bad advice. You make the decision to accept advice, on whatever basis you choose, or not.
But this responsibility for taking care with what advice you take has become a wariness against taking almost any advice. Virgil coined the phrase ‘beware of Greeks bearing gifts’ about the ‘Trojan Horse’ left at the gates of Troy. The Trojans thought the Greeks had left a parting gift because they had given up and sailed home. They took it within their walls not knowing it was filled with armed soldiers who would destroy their city. Applying this means that you, the reader are automatically suspicious of any advice given and the writer has the responsibility to show he is giving good advice.
What has this got to do with Untemplater? We are here because we believe in ‘rebellion against the status quo‘ no matter how old we are or what our status is in life. This means working where we want, living how we want and being who we want. But does this rebellion mean rejection of all that has gone before, assuming that it is generally bad advice? Does this mean that whatever we don’t agree with is the status quo? Does this mean we start again and make the same old mistakes?
In ‘When You Should Take Advice?‘ we read,
“The hard thing about getting advice is, as humans, we have a tendency to ignore and discredit advice we don’t like, while heavily weighing advice we do like. The dangers of this approach are that we still don’t know what to do and end up just doing what we want.”
Hmmm this would suggest a ‘Greeks Bearing Gifts’ approach. But, as it goes on to say, this “may not always be the best decision”. So maybe, as one commenter says,
“Best is to just listen to your elders. When you are in your 20′s, you think you know everything, but it’s hardly the case. It’s hard to see the bigger picture.”
Harsh and personal, but maybe there is a kernel of sense in there?
A commenter says,
“More often than not, I see people giving out advice freely without having any bearing or knowledge of the situation whatsoever. It’s one thing if I as a web developer offer some advice to a problem you might be having with your own site. While I may not know the particular problem, there’s a good chance what I am saying is at the least relevant.”
If you see what you read as a ‘Trojan Horse’ that will usually be what it is. Why all this suspicion? When did rebellion become fear of being misled?
Yes, there is a difference between expressing opinion and giving advice. When we write we need to openly express our opinions but take care about giving advice. But when we read do we have be so critical of what people are writing, can we not just trust our responsibility for ourselves. If we could trust everyone who writes on the internet there would be no issue, but this is clearly not possible. So do we just mis-trust people and “end up just doing what we want”?
Is there another way? Could we not start with an open view and receive all advice gratefully? We all have our agendas, all of us, could we not accept what they are and look behind them? We are free to comment on what people say and express our own opinions. Would we not be better off just doing that instead of assuming the worst in people?
“Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”
This came from a speech at the inauguration of Amnesty International, since when the candle has been used as Amnesty’s symbol of truth. Instead of pushing things away and complaining could we not expose the truth as we see it? This is to be open and honest not closed and fearful.
Should this not be our approach here at Untemplater? Look at what people say, how people think, what advice they give. Think about it, talk about it and expose what is there. Be forthright and honest, but don’t complain and criticize.
How can we apply this? Here are some of my thoughts, my opinions, what do you think?
- Read with an open mind.
- If we disagree explain why.
- Don’t seek to change people but seek to understand them.
- Be open and free in our views.
- Don’t insist people think like us.
Nick Cave, the musician, said,
“An artist’s duty is … to stay open-minded and in a state where he can receive information and inspiration. You always have to be ready for that little artistic Epiphany.”
That may be what consumer law has morphed “caveat emptor” to mean, but that’s not what it really means at all. It’s literal translation is “May the buyer beware” sometimes shortened to “buyer beware” (although that is altogether wrong – caveat is in the subjunctive mood, expressing a desire, not the imperative which expresses a demand). The phrase is used to mean that the buyer needs to remember that a seller has their own best interest at heart, not the buyer’s. In this traditional sense, it means that the buyer should be aware that the product may in fact be misrepresented to the point of fraud.
Edward, you are correct in that the literal meaning is ‘let the buyer beware’. But note, as you say, it is the subjunctive, expressing a desire, not the imperative, expressing a demand. This is slightly difficult in English because we don’t make the same clear distinction, but it means the buyer ‘should’ beware not the buyer ‘must’ beware. It suggests there might be something wrong, not that there is something wrong.
The law uses latin terms to mean specific things. A legal meaning of the phrase is in my article. You are also correct in that it is often used to warn buyers of fraudulent sellers, but this is not it’s legal meaning. Fraud is still recoverable and not exempt. The Trojan Horse was, essentially, fraud and, therefore, a ‘different kettle of fish’!
So through this language minefield the phrase generally means, as I said in the article, “You make the decision to accept advice [or goods], on whatever basis you choose, or not.”
Thank you for your comment and contribution to the debate. The issue of how much you trust the giver of the advice is central to my argument. I urge you to accept it more than you would if you saw all advice as containing ‘trojans’ or danger.
“Light a Candle in the Darkness, So others might see again.” sings Neil Young in this video, http://www.neilyoung.com/forkintheroad/lightacandlevideo.html. Watch it.
Hi Graham-
Thanks for crafting such a thought-provoking piece. This certainly is a delicate art – balancing the need to intake unconventional “advice” but also to be weary of misguided, incomplete, or inappropriate “trojans”.
I like your concluding message – that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. There is an awful lot of darkness these days – especially within the nebulous “status quo” that we (the Untemplater community) rebel against.
I think that despite our community’s internal differences (which should not be feared and ridiculed but acknowledged and celebrated as true diversity) we should not loose sight of the fact that our collective free-thinking beliefs are in fact the very candles of light of which you speak in an otherwise vacuum of darkness.
Best,
Matt
Absolutely, Matt.
We do need to watch out for ‘Trojans’, unfortunately they are all too common all over the internet. Our task is to recognise them for what they are and, in the process, not discard helpful/useful/provocative advice.
I am so glad to find a community here that is diverse and honestly working to open up the many possibilities that exist for people. Rebelling against the ‘Status Quo’ is fraught with problems, because the very nature of ‘rebellion’. If we, however, trust in our beliefs and our motives we will win through.
Thank you for providing a platform that is courageous and a candle of light in itself.
Reading this has made me aware of the fact that most of the time I do exactly that – discarting what I don’t want to read and only letting in what I already think anyway. Thanks for that, Graham!
Thank you, Cheta. It’s great to question if it means you are able to read and consider more. It opens you up to new ideas.