This line is all very cute and witty and everything but I think Garak does believe it. I wouldn’t be surprised if most Cardassians believe.
Heres why:
In A Stitch in Time, Garak describes Cardassians experiencing all memories at all times. All of a Cardassians memories are experienced as the present. If this is true than one may presume that memories do not fade and distort to the same extent as human ones.
NOW here’s the thing about that.
The issue of perception and truth (in something less than a philosophical sense) is presented by scenarios such as those in the show Brain Games.
In this particular example its possible a Cardassian would notice the switch due to the memory of the previous clerk being present. However there are other instances that I can’t seem to find clips of things such as clowns on unicycles going largely unseen on a college campus.
Suppose two Cardassians were walking down a street and they were passed by a unicycle. Both saw it but only in their peripheral vision.
One noticed and got a good look at it and one did not. A good look can be nothing more than a slight movement of the eye, presuming that only a small part of the Cardassian feild of vision is finely focused, as it is in humans.
The first remarks about it to the other but when he turns to look it has already rounded a corner out of sight.
Both have a memory existing in their mind with the rest of their life’s memories in that moment. One features a unicycle. One does not.
The second Cardassian that did not see is left with only a few possibilities
his friend is lying to him
his memory is fake (unlikely to be accepted as a memory that is always experienced as the present would likely be clear as bell)
he and his friends had two distinct experiences of reality that are both experienced as Truth but are incompatible
It gets a lot more messy when you move to more complicated things.
You don’t remember shouting at your mom. She definitely does. Your memories are contradictory.
Now imagine EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED is subject to this.
You would have to assume everyone no matter how trusted is lying to you.
Or you have to face the fact every person you encounter experiences reality in a way that they perceive as truth and may not be compatible with your own.
Its the “is the blue you see the blue I see?” quandary expanded to all of reality.
If this is the case, its hardly surprising that Cardassians would not believe in an ultimate Truth the way the average Star Fleet officer does.
blackash26 