Q11

[afrisky96]

Hi,

I got the answer to this one right but just wanted to understand the criteria behind choosing the right answer choice. So we're looking not just for a principle that is actually applied to Passage A, but also for something with which the author of Passage B seems to actively disagree?

for instance, is answer choice (E) wrong because the author of Passage B doesn't really speak on "skillful distortion" at all? or answer choice (D) because Passage B doesn't speak about subtlety/ability to convince?

[WilliamS670]

I answered this question correctly through POE. I can only find very weak support for (A). In the second sentence of the first para of Passage B, the author states that '...even when I know a memory is incorrect...'. By stating '...even when...', the author implies there are circumstances when he won't know an incorrect memory is incorrect. In other words, when his memory will be mistaken. Given that author B alludes to mistaken memories and advocates the inclusion of false memories, the argument might go, s/he is fine with the inclusion of mistaken memories, which are therefore not 'unforgivable'. But again, this is extremely weak support for (A), if it's even support at all.

What is the support for (A)?

[KingKai]

Answer A is supported because Passage A paragraph 2 says, "a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable," and Passage B refers to "mistake" inferably: in B, choosing the false memory is a mistake since it's not the real memory, especially since the author would call such a decision unethical (see question 9). However, this mistake is not necessarily unforgivable because the author of B also mentions when it is justified (the emotional power mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 3)

[WilliamS670]

Answer A is supported because Passage A paragraph 2 says, "a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable," and Passage B refers to "mistake" inferably: in B, choosing the false memory is a mistake since it's not the real memory, especially since the author would call such a decision unethical (see question 9). However, this mistake is not necessarily unforgivable because the author of B also mentions when it is justified (the emotional power mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 3)

'Choosing' the false memory is not a mistake, since a mistake is accidental. Choosing the false memory would be a lie, since the person so doing is choosing falsehood over truth intentionally, rather than on the supposition that the memory chosen is the correct one.

I still can't find support for (A), aside from the weak support I referenced in the first post I made. Para's 2 and 3 do mention the justifiability of including false memories, but only under conditions in which the memory is known to be false. That excludes the inclusion of false memories thought to be true, i.e. 'mistaken' memories.

Perhaps in the last sentence of para 2 there's support. False memories, i.e. all false memories, whether known to be false (in which case their inclusion would be a lie) or not known to be false (in which case their inclusion would be a mistake), have 'subjective'/'emotional' truths to them, and are therefore good to include. So mistaken memories are good to include, and therefore not 'unforgivable'.

I could have misunderstood your post, or I could be misunderstanding something about the passages, in which case, my bad.

[KingKai]

WilliamS670 I 100% get where you are coming from, and I would agree if I were following your definition of mistake. I however was taking a more general definition that regards a mistake as an error; something reflecting inaccuracy. If I know I am saying something false, I know I am saying something not true.

I took a false memory to be an inaccurate/untrue memory, especially when you consider those first 2 sentences of Passage B. So perhaps it would be more clear if I said "choosing" (the action) is not the mistake, but rather the mistake refers to the false memory that one chose.