How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.

Summary

This quote, often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, highlights the importance of objective truths and the fallacy of mere labels or misconceptions. It implies that simply renaming or redefining something does not change its inherent nature or characteristics. In the case of the dog, regardless of labeling the tail as a leg, it remains a tail because the function and form of the appendage do not change based on what it is called. Thus, the quote challenges the notion that language can alter reality or redefine essential attributes.

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