Let’s play a game.
But first, let me introduce you to the Noscernos (pro. Noss-er-noss). Noscernos is both the singular and plual form.
The Noscernos is a large creature with a large horn at the end of its nose. It walks on two legs and has a rotund body. Its skin can project a vast rainbow of colors and patterns, which allow it to camouflage itself in almost any environment. You may have passed one and not even known it. When they are happy, rainbow stripes swirl all over its body. They are very amicable, gregarious, always tell the truth, always give sound advice and are pleasant to be around.
Now, here’s the game.
Answer the following question. Do you believe that Noscernos exist? All you have to go on is me telling you about them. Or what other people may tell you about them. (If anyone out there has first hand experience with Noscernos, I’d be interested in hearing about it.)
Oh, one more thing.
If you believe that Noscernos exist, they will leave your favorite baked good on your doorstep every night so it will be there when you wake up in the morning.
If you don’t believe that Noscernos exist, then one will come and eat you in your sleep tonight.
So, how do you make this decision? What is your reasoning? Do you choose to believe just because I’ve told you about them? Do you choose to believe because you don’t want to get eaten in your sleep tonight?
And don’t throw Pascal’s Wager at me. Choosing not to decide defaults to you not believing they exist, thus you end up getting eaten.
Choose wisely, my Hordeling. I’d like for you to not get eaten so you can be around to read more of my stuff.
If you’d like to support my efforts, why not buy me a chocolate chip cookie through my Ko-Fi page? https://ko-fi.com/jhusum
I believe they don’t exist. I believe you made them up. One reason is that I don’t believe I’ve heard you mention a Noscernos in about 35 years. Though when we first met, you mentioned them all that time.
Plus there is the fact that if the Nosceros have really been leaving your favorite baked good on your doorstep every night for your entire adult life, then diabetes would have finished you off about 20 years ago (unless you have been throwing those baked goods away every morning, but we both know that’s not going to happen).
But most importantly, you were negligent in stating the test conditions. You said the only things we had to base our response on were second hand reports. You neglected to mention the possibility that yes, I believe in Noscernos, because there’s one standing right next to me right now and I’m scratching his neck ridge and the rainbow stripes are swirling as bright as I’ve ever seen them. In short, you’ve made it plain to me over our long acquaintance that you consider Nocernos to be something that only you can experience directly, which is pretty much the exact definition of imaginary.
Not a logical proof by any stretch, but as a piece of inductive reasoning, it’s pretty darn convincing.
Taking your points one at a time:
1) No, thirty-five years ago I was mentioning the Ganortz all the time (Still a favorite beastie of mine), not the Noscernos.
2) Maybe I have diabetes because the Noscernos have been leaving my favorite baked goods on my doorstep every night!
3) I did say if anyone had firsthand experience with Noscernos I’d be interested in hearing about it. Nice to hear of your experience with one. I mean its not like you encountered a wombat, which are totally mythical creatures.