Truth and Lies

Greetings. First, I'd like to thank RDub for making me a part of "Internalize Your Demise". Glad to be here, and I hope my assorted ramblings provide some entertainment and some food for thought. Not necessarily in that order.

Where to begin? I'm J. Some of you know me, or think you do - or some combination of those two. I'm an anti-intellectual intellectual. I love technology, but don't own a cellphone. I love many persons, but can't stand people. I'm a professional bad influence, and an unconditional lover. I'm a dilettante and a sensualist. A hopeful cynic. I'm a walking, talking study in duality and tension of opposites. Pleased to meet you, hope you've guessed my name.

Talk, talk, talk ... talk is cheap. But we knew that already, right? Whether we really internalize it or not.

A rich man doesn't have to tell you he is rich. So, if you have to tell me how smart you are, how smart your friends say you are ... well ... it's like your mystique; once you talk about it, you have none.

Everyone knows the famous lies:

1) The check is in the mail.
2) Of course I'll respect you in the morning!
3) I won't come in your mouth.
4) I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you.

I propose adding the following:

5) I'm an excellent judge of character!
6) It's not you, it's me.
7) I'm a maverick!
8) With me, things will change.

Truth and lies ... a slippery proposition. Everyone says they want the truth, right until they get it, in which case they tend to wish they'd never heard it and want to shoot the messenger to boot.

And does truth have much of a place in our society? How many lies did you have to tell to make it through the day today? How many lies are told to us by those in power (government, employers, etc.)?

I propose that lying comes right along with our instant-gratification lifestyle. Tell whatever lie you need to tell to get said authority figure out of your face so you can keep on doing what you'd prefer to be doing, rather than addressing the reality of the situation. Basically, you push the problems back, adding a little interest on to the debt that will eventually come due. And it always comes due. Is the small amount of time you gain worth the snowball effect?

Your word is a precious commodity. Once you break it, it's almost impossible to regain. Once "liar" becomes a part of your reputation, your every word is questioned.

It's one thing to lie to others, but do you lie to yourself?

Do you lie to the ones you love?

I tell my young daughter to be honest with me, because if she lies, I will be acting from incomplete and incorrect information, and therefore, I cannot truly help matters. It's like the ancient GIGO law of computing: "Garbage in, garbage out." In return, I have to meet the same standard of honesty, else I'm a hypocrite and my talk is cheap, and I should not be surprised when she discards what I say and loses respect for me.

I tell myself all the time that there is no such thing as too much information, and that I would rather know the truth and hurt than be blissfully ignorant. I suppose I must remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

Having said all that, are there necessary - even beneficial - lies?


Quote of the Blog: "What are the facts? Again and again and again - what are the FACTS? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what 'the stars foretell,' avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable 'verdict of history' - what are the facts, and to how many decible places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!" - Lazarus Long