How can I make this sensible?

Question

There is always an exception.

How can this ever make sense? It's so true, but it denies itself. Help me.....please!

Answer 1

"There is always an exception" can be taken in two ways. One, it literally means 100% of the time there will be an exception; however, this is contradictory, because there would be no exception to "there always being an exception", which is an absolute. (To have an exception requires that there be no absolutes. Much like the statement, "There are no absolutes," precludes that idea.) So the second way of taking the statement applys, in that, "there is always an exception" to only a part of the 100%. We could say, in certain sets of circumstances but not all universallly, statements, laws, rules, or whatever sphere "There is always an exception." and so nothing is lost, and the phrase is sensible. We only apply the phrase when and where we need it. It would be disenginous to believe the the phrase applys wholly to everything. In real life we see the Police often speeding, but no one gives them a ticket. There is always an exception to the speeding laws. When it is said, "There is always an exception" it is understood by the listener by the context the limits of this phrase.


I always thought it was funny that my Antivirus would actually scan itself for viruses. It's kind of like the adage "Who watches the Watchers?" The watcher has to watch himself. So the it is true, but it checks itself to see if it is really true. So it is true, but it denies itself.
Secondly, anyone can deny something even if it is true, even self. The Iranian President denies the holocaust, and he can deny that he is the President of Iran, but nothing has changed. It is not a problem for something to be true, and for that something to deny itself. Truth does not change and is not altered by claims against it, whether those claims are external or internal.

Answer 2

There is always an exception to every rule.
You could say that this is true without exception.

So since the rule itself is an exception, in that it does NOT have one, then it does indeed fulfill its own truth.

Answer 3

Makes perfect sense -- there is always an exception -- unless there is an exception to this statement. Very CYA! You win no matter what (-:.

What drives me crazy are rules that say, "There are NO exceptions." C'mon! There's always an exception! Except in the case of extreme harda$$es.

Answer 4

there's always an exception-you can't generalize. but yes, that would also mean this saying has exceptions-there are things with no exceptions. and so yes, it contradicts itself. trying to understand that would keep you awake all night,