who is a literalist?

Question

how many literalists are on this site?

Answer 1

Lit´er`al`ist
n.1.One who adheres to the letter or exact word; an interpreter according to the letter.


Not me.

Answer 2

You need to quantify your statement. If someone tells me to meet them at 0800 in their office, I take them literally. If someone pulls out a wicked knife and says they are going to kill me, I take them literally.
If someone tells me they are frightened like a scared rabbit, I don't take them literally. They are providing a metaphor to describe their fright. They are not saying they are a scared rabbit. If someone tells me they are so hungry they can eat a whole cow, I don't take them literally. They are providing a metaphor to describe how hungry they are. The are not going to eat a whole cow. When I was a little toddler, my grandmother told me that the Volkswagen Beetle gave you headaches. Now she meant that owners of the VW had mechanical problems. I took her literally and thought the driver always got headaches when he drove the car. Since then I have grown up and have learned to look at the context. You can always tell if something is literal or a metaphor by the context.

Answer 3

If you are talking about literature like the Bible and the Koran, etc., the word literal should be replaced by the word plain.

Look at the plain meaning and the context. When it is being poetic or hyperbolic, that will be obvious.

Answer 4

I'm a realist, Literalist.....dunno?