I love that word, it sounds so important, but I dislike what it describes. Plus, I have concern that many people can't seem to notice the difference between hyperbole and truth, or maybe accuracy.
Sometimes the overstatement and exaggeration are silly - I am so full I feel like I just ate a huge Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes it is prejudice - putting a judgement on an entire group, as all .... (fill in the blanks) are.... Sometimes it is used to whip people up emotionally, often in politics and religion.
This morning I read an outrageous article that stated our Attorney General had said that he was concerned about our long held values slipping into secularism (I agree). The writer then jumped to an illogical conclusion, stating that our Attorney General was advocating a theocracy. The two ideas are not related and trying to tie them together is ridiculous.
I think we need to be alert, as there are sooooo many exaggerations flying around that, if we're not thinking, we can be led far astray. I can almost hear my old Zen meditation teacher shouting WAKE UP!!!
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