"Cum grano salis" is a Latin idiom which translates literally to "with a grain of salt," and suggests that determining the truth warrants moderating information intake with a degree of skepticism to avoid the pitfalls of gullibility and naiveté.
Though this saying has been around for centuries, it is more relevant today than ever, as we live in an age where information is oftentimes shared thoughtlessly or with the end of prioritizing entertainment over accuracy. You cannot take every fount or piece of information at face value, even when it is presented as fact; you have to exercise judgement and learn to separate the truth from that fatally compromised by prejudice, superficiality or outright falsehood.
My aim with this blog is to subjectively divulge any small pieces of truth I uncover in my personal experiences, whether by describing vignettes and phenomena or providing opinionated analysis with which you may or may not agree. Even if I do not offer any definitive answers in my somewhat random ruminations, I want to raise interesting questions. I hope also that you are encouraged by what you read here to think critically even about apparently mundane moments, and about situations which may be less black-and-white than they appear to you at first glance. I will tell stories and offer perspective on an assortment of topics, ideas and events, without confining my writing to any single category, but consistently striving to express and encourage nuanced thinking.
"Cum grano piperis" constitutes a slight modification of the original saying; it means "with a grain of pepper." Though each entry will be written cum grano salis, as I seek to muddle some sense out of every addressed subject rather than accepting anyone else’s spin, my personal approach in developing an opinion or selecting a scene to share is cum grano piperis, something quirky and varying and intangible that flavors what you read. I hope that some of it is to your taste.
Sophie Culpepper
Though this saying has been around for centuries, it is more relevant today than ever, as we live in an age where information is oftentimes shared thoughtlessly or with the end of prioritizing entertainment over accuracy. You cannot take every fount or piece of information at face value, even when it is presented as fact; you have to exercise judgement and learn to separate the truth from that fatally compromised by prejudice, superficiality or outright falsehood.
My aim with this blog is to subjectively divulge any small pieces of truth I uncover in my personal experiences, whether by describing vignettes and phenomena or providing opinionated analysis with which you may or may not agree. Even if I do not offer any definitive answers in my somewhat random ruminations, I want to raise interesting questions. I hope also that you are encouraged by what you read here to think critically even about apparently mundane moments, and about situations which may be less black-and-white than they appear to you at first glance. I will tell stories and offer perspective on an assortment of topics, ideas and events, without confining my writing to any single category, but consistently striving to express and encourage nuanced thinking.
"Cum grano piperis" constitutes a slight modification of the original saying; it means "with a grain of pepper." Though each entry will be written cum grano salis, as I seek to muddle some sense out of every addressed subject rather than accepting anyone else’s spin, my personal approach in developing an opinion or selecting a scene to share is cum grano piperis, something quirky and varying and intangible that flavors what you read. I hope that some of it is to your taste.
Sophie Culpepper