[ben_w]

Given that distinction between liar and bullshitter, I think Johnson is not even capable of comprehending that “truth” is a concept, let alone that other people can and do judge him for saying untrue things.

Main example that gives me this belief is this: https://youtu.be/wzUDRyciqVM

Where Boris Johnson says “well actually there’s no press here” to a man who responds by turning to and pointing out the press cameras filming both of them having this conversation and saying “What do you mean there is no press here? What are they then?”

[tialaramex]

Boris knows the press are there, they're the only reason he's even talking to that man. Off camera Boris would ignore him completely. But "Boris doesn't know this obvious TV camera is pointed at him" is charming buffoonery. "Boris is intentionally destroying the NHS to kill your grandparents" is something you might want to vote against.

Some politicians would try to engage on the issues, but a ten minute debate in a hospital corridor isn't going to make the highlight news even if your well-rehearsed answers work, and it might not even get reported in rolling news if there's man falling into a vat of blancmange or something that gets laughs. "Boris doesn't know the cameras are there" works.

And sure enough, it worked on you as intended and you've taken away the message Boris wanted you thinking about. Boris doesn't want your respect, Boris wants power and has since childhood.

Much more recently Boris hid in a (walk-in) fridge. Ha ha ha. But wait, why did he hide in a fridge? Well that's funny and it made the news and is still used in memes, whereas "Boris refuses to answer important questions" looks a bit like maybe we shouldn't have him as leader, doesn't it...

[ben_w]

> And sure enough, it worked on you as intended and you've taken away the message Boris wanted you thinking about.

You’re saying he wanted me to take away the message that he’s pathologically dishonest? Because that also looks a bit like maybe he shouldn’t be allowed to lead a country, or even his dog around for a walk without the supervision of someone more responsible.

[MagnumOpus]

> Johnson is not even capable of comprehending

Alex Johnson was scholarship boy at Eton and writing books about Shakespeare is his hobby. He is very well capable of comprehending abstract concepts and manipulating their perception to his benefit. He publicly portrays himself as "Boris the bumbling fool" but unlike Trump does not act like that in private. The fact that he is unethical and lazy does not mean he is stupid, and it is a dangerous assumption to make.

[ben_w]

IQ is a separate axis to what I’m saying. A person with prosopagnosia need not be stupid, they just lack the particular neural structures allowing face recognition. What I’m saying is like (but with much looser language than) saying Johnston lacks the neural structure for comprehension of the concept of truth.