Interesting distinction Steve. We may be the victims of more frequent lying, even if our own standards remain unchanged. But someone is generating all those lies, right?
(1) I felt disgusted and outraged when the Houthi scandal broke. Their unconvincing efforts at damage control by denial and misrepresentation were pathetically lame. This certainly confirmed the warnings we heard about Trump picking highly unqualified cabinet appointees. Attacking Goldberg with suggestions that he somehow hacked into their chat was beyond ridiculous. There would have been no way for Goldberg to know the text group even existed, let alone add himself to it. (2) I would be lying if I said I never told a lie. Everyone tells a lie at some point, but overall I consider myself a decent and reasonably honest person. (3) I hope that the incessant lying will go out of style one day soon. Is there a path to a more truthful society? I don’t know, but I would love to live in a world with less deceit. (4) This is a great post and I love it!
PS I am the younger sister of Lee Shupp, who you know from Cheskin and Stanford. Lee sent me your post yesterday. I’m so glad he did! I look forward to reading your future posts.
Growing-up I was incredibly fortunate to have a mother who had strong morals and certainly taught me that there aren't different realities about what is wrong or right. It was quite simple, as I boiled it all down to the Golden Rule of "Do onto others as you would have them do on to you". Pretty simple for a moral person who has the capacity to care about others. I don't remember lying at all unless it was a white lie, e.g. stories of Santa for my little sister and brother, withholding certain thoughts and not speaking them If I thought they would hurt others (passive lying). I have been honest to a fault and I wished I hadn't answered certain questions that hurt me and others. The bottom line is all these terrible people in this moment of time are attempting to rewrite history and control the world at all costs, which is lying and llying and lying--it makes me extremely angry. It infuriates me because it insults my moral upbringing and is only meant to lie for their sick notions of how to control others and hurt others. They don't care about anybody. They know what lies and untruths are. They know they are hurting others and ruining our world. They know what they do is so bad and can only think it's ok. If they think what they do is ok than they sick or maybe are just sociopaths. Lying is not ok.
Christoper, I love how your father helped you understand the consequences or joy of lying or not.
Thanks Skelly. I've talked to many who feel like you do--deep anger at the insult of blatant, unfeeling lies. Let's hope that turns into a strong defense.
Hi. Addressing #2, sort of... Some people clearly can't tell the difference between facts and fiction, but as a society, I don't see much evidence that people think falsification of facts is OK. It's true that certain forms of lying, such as exaggerating, have been acceptable since forever. And the current fashion of talking about "my truths" as if, once subjectivity comes into it, there's nothing more to be said, probably doesn't help. But out-and-out falsification of facts? No.
I would not be telling the truth if I did not admit to that I have learned from harsh personal experience that one lie I can undermine all of the truth that I may have told someone. In relationships telling a lie is the most corrosive action possible. There is only one thing that you can learn from the difficult aftermath of lying to someone. It is a an easy lesson. Simply put it is "Don't do it again."
This essay is the most coherent discussion of the impact of a lie and the value of the truth that I have ever read. By the way, I'm telling you the truth when I say that.
This essay blended with The Prime Directive of Political Unity provides a path that we might consider following. As soon as possible.
Thank you so much, Christopher, for this essay! I just found it in my email as I was in the midst of writing an essay on Orwellian rewriting of history: why both sides of our culture war cannot as honestly attribute it to the other side. I’ll send you what I come up with.
I tend to believe that much of Trump’s success has been his freedom to use whatever argument pleases his base, regardless of its veracity. Amazingly, when he’s spouted contradictions, members of his audience have heard only the parts they agree with. He has sometimes spoken truths others would not, but more often than not, he’s lied. He’s particularly adept at vagueness, enabling listeners to imagine he’s told them what they’d hoped to hear when he hasn’t really told them anything. I’m wondering if his rambling dull-wittedness, his stunted vocabulary is an act: despite what appears to be undisciplined spontaneity, despite seeming to dismiss his lawyers’ advice, he rarely says anything unequivocally illegal.
It seems Trump’s opponents are struggling with one hand tied behind the back, but as in Orwell’s 1984, if we let fly with our own lies, even if we win, we’ve joined the other side. On the other hand, if we lose, the political arena may turn from quadrennial jousts into decades of disappearances.
By the way, Eisabeth Warren’s claim to Native Americans heritage is not so easily dismissed: just as it’s unlikely but possible for us to win many coin-tosses in a row, it’s possible to receive no DNA from an ancestor. (According to 23andMe, I myself am 5% Mayan.)
You're welcome, Stephan, and I'd love to read your essay when it's done. I suspect the same of Trump at times, but more likely imho it's a combination of a lifetime of cunning comments mixed with some real age-related declines.
Interesting distinction Steve. We may be the victims of more frequent lying, even if our own standards remain unchanged. But someone is generating all those lies, right?
(1) I felt disgusted and outraged when the Houthi scandal broke. Their unconvincing efforts at damage control by denial and misrepresentation were pathetically lame. This certainly confirmed the warnings we heard about Trump picking highly unqualified cabinet appointees. Attacking Goldberg with suggestions that he somehow hacked into their chat was beyond ridiculous. There would have been no way for Goldberg to know the text group even existed, let alone add himself to it. (2) I would be lying if I said I never told a lie. Everyone tells a lie at some point, but overall I consider myself a decent and reasonably honest person. (3) I hope that the incessant lying will go out of style one day soon. Is there a path to a more truthful society? I don’t know, but I would love to live in a world with less deceit. (4) This is a great post and I love it!
Thank you, Beth. Your responses echo mine.
PS I am the younger sister of Lee Shupp, who you know from Cheskin and Stanford. Lee sent me your post yesterday. I’m so glad he did! I look forward to reading your future posts.
Lee is a favorite! nice to meet you.
Lee is a favorite of mine too! He is the best big brother a girl could possibly ever have.
Growing-up I was incredibly fortunate to have a mother who had strong morals and certainly taught me that there aren't different realities about what is wrong or right. It was quite simple, as I boiled it all down to the Golden Rule of "Do onto others as you would have them do on to you". Pretty simple for a moral person who has the capacity to care about others. I don't remember lying at all unless it was a white lie, e.g. stories of Santa for my little sister and brother, withholding certain thoughts and not speaking them If I thought they would hurt others (passive lying). I have been honest to a fault and I wished I hadn't answered certain questions that hurt me and others. The bottom line is all these terrible people in this moment of time are attempting to rewrite history and control the world at all costs, which is lying and llying and lying--it makes me extremely angry. It infuriates me because it insults my moral upbringing and is only meant to lie for their sick notions of how to control others and hurt others. They don't care about anybody. They know what lies and untruths are. They know they are hurting others and ruining our world. They know what they do is so bad and can only think it's ok. If they think what they do is ok than they sick or maybe are just sociopaths. Lying is not ok.
Christoper, I love how your father helped you understand the consequences or joy of lying or not.
Enough rambling. Skelly
Thanks Skelly. I've talked to many who feel like you do--deep anger at the insult of blatant, unfeeling lies. Let's hope that turns into a strong defense.
Hi. Addressing #2, sort of... Some people clearly can't tell the difference between facts and fiction, but as a society, I don't see much evidence that people think falsification of facts is OK. It's true that certain forms of lying, such as exaggerating, have been acceptable since forever. And the current fashion of talking about "my truths" as if, once subjectivity comes into it, there's nothing more to be said, probably doesn't help. But out-and-out falsification of facts? No.
I would not be telling the truth if I did not admit to that I have learned from harsh personal experience that one lie I can undermine all of the truth that I may have told someone. In relationships telling a lie is the most corrosive action possible. There is only one thing that you can learn from the difficult aftermath of lying to someone. It is a an easy lesson. Simply put it is "Don't do it again."
This essay is the most coherent discussion of the impact of a lie and the value of the truth that I have ever read. By the way, I'm telling you the truth when I say that.
This essay blended with The Prime Directive of Political Unity provides a path that we might consider following. As soon as possible.
Thank you so much, Christopher, for this essay! I just found it in my email as I was in the midst of writing an essay on Orwellian rewriting of history: why both sides of our culture war cannot as honestly attribute it to the other side. I’ll send you what I come up with.
I tend to believe that much of Trump’s success has been his freedom to use whatever argument pleases his base, regardless of its veracity. Amazingly, when he’s spouted contradictions, members of his audience have heard only the parts they agree with. He has sometimes spoken truths others would not, but more often than not, he’s lied. He’s particularly adept at vagueness, enabling listeners to imagine he’s told them what they’d hoped to hear when he hasn’t really told them anything. I’m wondering if his rambling dull-wittedness, his stunted vocabulary is an act: despite what appears to be undisciplined spontaneity, despite seeming to dismiss his lawyers’ advice, he rarely says anything unequivocally illegal.
It seems Trump’s opponents are struggling with one hand tied behind the back, but as in Orwell’s 1984, if we let fly with our own lies, even if we win, we’ve joined the other side. On the other hand, if we lose, the political arena may turn from quadrennial jousts into decades of disappearances.
By the way, Eisabeth Warren’s claim to Native Americans heritage is not so easily dismissed: just as it’s unlikely but possible for us to win many coin-tosses in a row, it’s possible to receive no DNA from an ancestor. (According to 23andMe, I myself am 5% Mayan.)
You're welcome, Stephan, and I'd love to read your essay when it's done. I suspect the same of Trump at times, but more likely imho it's a combination of a lifetime of cunning comments mixed with some real age-related declines.