When you say something is good are you indirectly saying something else is bad?

Question

"you look beautiful today" couldn't that also be read as "you look worse every other day"
or "bill gates is a good person because he donates millions to charity" means "every other rich guy is a _____ because they donate nothing" do you see what i mean?

Additional Details

you guys misunderstand, i don't mean you think one thing and say another, i'm asking if the meaning of the positive statement itself could be correctly read in the reverse way. like a cup half empty/half full. technically it's both (or neither). i'm trying to understand the relativity of subjective language.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Yes I know what you mean. The implication is there.

However, unless something is spoken you are not saying anything.

There is always an anithesis to everything but we can choose to acknowledge the good and reject the bad without a sound.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

great answer :) thankyou

Answer 2

I guess it comes down to how much of a hypocrite we all are… the more cynical, the more of your question becomes a true statement. Aside of the political-correct phrases that now-a-days you must use in order not to get in trouble, everything else should be sincere answer when asked a difficult question. Then again, it also comes down to who we are talking to… for example: if my “wife” asks me, “do I look fat in this dress?” and I sincerely see it as yes, I would answer “yes” but if my “new girlfriend” ask me the same question I will definitely answer “no” even if she does looks fat.

Answer 3

it happends yes but over all i like to control my self talk and try to keep it postivie not so negitive..

so when i say something most likely i'm thinking of another way to say it!

"You look beautiful today" i think "wow what a nice shirt" or "What a glow to your skin" and stuff like that!

but there are times when you say something and think the other! it's human's

Answer 4

It depends on your perceptions, and the verbal/nonverbal clues the person saying it gives off.

Haha - My boss actually said "you look nice today" to me last week. You could tell he has daughters, because he stopped and said "not that you don't look nice every other day".

Answer 5

Not neccessarily, less good, maybe, but it doesn`t have to get to the category of Bad, strictly speaking. I mean: If you look beautiful today, maybe yesterday you looked well, not beautiful!!!, but not bad, either.

Answer 6

There isn't a limited amount of good in the world. You don't detract from other good things by saying something is especially good.