Knowing versus 'Knowing' 197Second, government meddling adds red tape. Suppose that a person
wants to follow Perceiver logic. It is not enough for him to learn common
sense. In addition, he must memorize hundreds of arcane laws, and run
through scores of byzantine regulations. All of these additional steps have
nothing to do with the opportunity itself. But, if they are not followed to
the letter, then government will step in and thwart the opportunity.
Third, justice is denied to those who need it. Suppose that someone‟s
personal safety or private property is violated. If he goes to court, he finds
himself immersed in an alternate reality where emotional 'truth' is pre-
eminent. And, because 'truth' and truth cannot coexist, Perceiver facts and
confidence will be shoved aside.
Finally, justice is delayed. This is because court cases are prolonged,
and therefore they clog up the system. Why? Because a law system which
pursues emotional 'truth' is a contradiction in terms. Law, by definition, is a
Perceiver belief which applies to many individual Mercy experiences.
Emotional 'truth,' in contrast, roots itself in single experiences and isolated
cases. Therefore, the more that courts and politicians accept emotional
'truth,' the more they have to decide exactly which so-called universal law
applies to each individual case—Perceiver truth is adjusted in the light of
emotional 'truth.' Thus, before a case can even be tried, officials will
determine what evidence is permissible, which rules are pertinent, who sits
on the jury, and so on and so forth. Similarly, before a politician makes a
decision, he will consult with all of his special interest groups.
Before we go on, I suggest that we have just discovered the method by
which a society teaches its citizens that Perceiver rules are connected with
generality—it uses justice. When a person comes before a court or some
other government agency, he loses his individuality. Instead, he is reduced
to another example of „Regulation 37.4, Subsection D.‟ That is what makes
justice work: The same rules apply to everyone. It does not matter who you
are; you will be treated in the same way. This teaches the individual that it
is possible to discover Perceiver rules which are general, and which do not
depend upon specific Mercy experiences. At least, that is what happens
when government is just. But, if the system becomes corrupt, then this
lesson of generality is lost. Rather, people learn that it is the specific Mercy
person and his emotional status which is all-important.A
How can a corrupt justice system or bureaucracy be reformed? Should
the legal loopholes be plugged with more laws? I suggest not. This simply
adds more emotional 'truth' and gives further ammunition to lawyers and
bureaucrats. It falls into the error of thinking that opportunity lies with
government and its regulations.
A We will see later that it is also possible for government to learn the
lesson of generality too well.