Harry Frankfurt’s “On Bullshit” calls out the growing amount of bullshit entering the scene nowadays. However, Frankfurt doesn’t define ‘bullshit’ in the way most would expect. There is a distinct difference between a liar and a bullshitter. Liars are aware of the truth and say something false to avoid it. On the other hand, bullshitters don’t know what is true and what is false, but they don’t care about the verity of what they say. A common situation for bullshitting is when people are forced to “speak extensively about matters of which they are... ignorant” (20). This is exactly the case for an event in the competitive public speaking world, extemporaneous speech. This involves “answering a question about current events [in seven minutes] that…show more content… Although the event specifies that using “limited notes” is acceptable, “cultural norms... tend to reward those who compete... without the use of notes” (Speaker and Gavel). Thus, to do well, speakers must speak knowledgeably about vastly complicated world issues for seven minutes with just a half hour to prepare, and must memorize all points, statistics, and ideas they want to use.
Extemporaneous speech is a breeding ground for bullshit. Because there is a time limit on preparation and a discouragement to use notes, speakers spew out random statistic citations to support their arguments. What they say may or may not be true, but they sound more knowledgeable and confident, which enhances their performance and scores. When a forensics teacher at Minnesota State University found that one of her students fabricated evidence, she said that “several of [her] students admitted that they were careless with the accuracy of source citations” (Speaker & Gavel), and these were just the students who were honest about their bullshitting practices. This was not an isolated incident; the issue is a national epidemic in the community at every level.
