“When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.” (Otto von Bismarck)
If there would be a fifth element to describe the composition of the world we inhabit, might I nominate Truth as such. Messing around with Truth is comparable to playing Mad Libs. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Wikipedia describes Mad Libs as a ‘phrasal template word game where one player prompts another for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story; these word substitutions have a humorous effect when the resulting story is then read aloud.’ A very complex definition for something so simple.
This is how you would see it in context; the (adjective) Truth.
Any description will do. Awesome, fearsome, gruesome, loathsome, and then some. As ironic as it is, the perception of Truth is quite malleable. The details, punctuation, circumstances, and intonation are constantly reconfiguring themselves. But when examined closely, you will find the bare Truth at the core. With the constant exposure of Ponzi schemes, appalling scandals, and political corruption, Truth is becoming increasingly valuable. Primary sources are easily forged with the rise of technology, and secondary sources barely hold any water. The equivalent to alchemists in the 1700’s would be an honest person in the 21st century. Research shows that the average person tells four lies a day. (Teenagers, criminals, and politicians do not fall into the average category.) We don’t do it intentionally. Sometimes we fudge the Truth to avoid an argument we’re bound to lose. We ask ‘How’re you doing?’ when we don’t really care. We make up excuses to relieve ourselves of social obligations.
We promote lies and ban those who express how they really feel. We use labels such as ‘socially awkward’ and ‘verbal diarrhea’ to describe people who make us feel uncomfortable with Truth overloads. It’s as if our emotional system can’t handle the overload. Too much of a good thing…
Truth or false comments are welcome below.
Well said.
ReplyDeleteTrue - we all find ourselves sticking in white lies here and there throughout our day... As i read somewhere - "we trick ourselves into believing something that's not true is. That's because motivation for lying is usually tied up in self-esteem and self-preservation.
ReplyDeleteRegarding - calling those that talk to much, say the truth, Socially awkward - which you attribute to fear of facing the truth...another perspective ="Lying is considered a sign of intelligence because it takes some aptitude to recognize the way things are and then create and present an alternative to that reality." (oy! so now we rationalize that lying is a real talent!)
Great blog! Love following it!