Concept in Definition ABC

A statement is considered obvious when no explanation is necessary because it is totally self-evident. Something is obvious when it is absolutely clear and no clarification is required.

Examples of the obvious

If someone says that in a job you have to make an effort or that you win the lottery is a matter of luck, we are facing two obvious points. These statements are, in some way, unnecessary, since they do not provide any complementary or interesting statement. Before them a interlocutor you cannot disagree, as they are necessarily true.

In everyday use of the language It is said that something is obvious to indicate that it is a simplicity, that is, information without any relevance. Sometimes it is said "this is obvious" to imply that one agrees with it (in this sense, it is equivalent to saying "of course").

When we communicate we can use a series of synonyms to replace the term obvious (clear or obvious would be the most common).

What seems obvious is not always so

There are statements that are properly obvious; for example that cakes have a sweet taste. However, other statements are considered obvious, but this assessment is more debatable. Let's look at this case with two classic examples: the woman is the weaker sex and the earth is the center of the universe. Both claims were understood as self-evident for centuries.

The evolution in the image of women and her struggle for equality with men

Women were considered to be inferior to men and therefore she was the weaker sex by definition. This assessment has changed over time and is currently considered a false statement, since women have demonstrated her strength in many senses. The idea that the Earth occupied the center of the universe was understood as something typical of the common sense for centuries and the change in valuation was very slow (the shift from geocentrism to heliocentrism was quite a revolution). On conclusionThese simple examples highlight that it is wise to be cautious when judging certain statements as obvious.

Remember that some obvious facts go unnoticed, something that may seem contradictory. This idea can be illustrated with an example classic, the story of Hans Christian Andersen's Emperor's New Costume. In this story, the emperor's new suit was a non-existent suit and could only be appreciated by intelligent people.

Thus, when the emperor came out naked to wear his suit, no one dared to say that he was naked, although it was obvious. The obviousness that everyone saw but no one dared to comment was only discovered when a child dared to affirm with total naturalness that the emperor was naked.