THOUGHTESSAY #10
3)a paralogy (a move in a language game that transforms the rules of the language game)
Lyotard’s 3rd tenant states that we can maximize our performativity through paralogy. Paralogy is when something is outside of the logic or someone that is going against the rules.
An example of this was when a doctor told me that my horse would not survive after having suffered from a severe injury. It is common sense to trust doctors and most people expect that everything that they say will be the ultimate truth. However according to Lyotard, communication is best conceived as a ‘’language game’’ and I believe that this is true when discussing the trustworthiness of doctors. In most cases, people will listen to what their doctor is saying without a question and you are therefore following the rules in the language game. Immediately, when
I had already gone against the rules by deciding not to trust my doctor. The doctor told me that my horse would never make it, and that I would only torture my animal by putting her through more pain. It is logical to believe in doctors, but it does not necessarily have to mean that it is the truth or the best option. By going against the rules, I actually found a much better solution to my problem. According to Lyotard, going against the rules (paralogy) will in some ways transforms the rules of the language game. I think this is very true. I feel like I have become more aware of things that are supposed to be logical and that people believe to be the ultimate truth. But they have never tried going against the rules. In most cases I have learned is that language has made us act in certain ways, but it does not mean. And the people that go against the language games is often very successful. “you have to stand out in the crowd” saying I feel can correlate to what Lyotard is saying. BASICALLY, don’t be like everybody