In Greece you can still visit the place where the ancient Greeks asked for answers from their Delphic Oracle. This involved getting answers with double meanings or cryptic phrases that could be interpreted in different ways. The ambiguity often ensured the oracle’s prestige, as the statements could be seen as correct after the fact, regardless of the outcome.
For example, King Croesus of Lydia (c. 560 BC) or the self-appointed King Donald of the US might ask what’s going to happen if they wage war against the Persian Empire (Iran)?
· Oracle’s Answer: “If you make war on the Persians, you will destroy a great empire.”
· Ambiguity & Outcome: Croesus or King Donald assumed the doomed empire was Persia (Iran), so they attacked and were defeated, thus destroying his own great Empire.
The prophecy was technically true but deliberately misleading.
