We're Brought up to Tell the Truth - It's all a Lie

I still remember writing a post this time last year when I was away on holiday. The difference between now and then, amongst other things (or inter alia - damn I've been wanting to use that for a while!) is that I have an internet connection where I am - this is fresh off the press today people! What this leaves me with is the ability to write a post without having to: a) predict the future; and b) without having to adjust my writing style thereof. It also means that you lovely people won't go to bed this evening without that little taste of a ramble still in your mouths - something I'm sure will make you all very grateful of our quickly expanding technology network. The topic for today's post struck me as I was walking along the dunes. I passed some people on the path and I happened to catch a little bit of conversation: something about telling lies (or telling the truth, my memory fails me). In the rest of the time I spent out in the fresh air that day, I pondered the idea of lying. Is it as bad as people make it out to be? Where would some of the most successful people in the world be without lies? How often do people (even the ones we trust) lie to us? We just don't know.

I've met a lot of people; probably a lot less that a lot of my peers, but still a lot of people. I've met just about every kind of person you can think of: quiet people, loud people, smart people, not-so-smart people, funny people, boring people and the list goes on. In fact in those three pairs that I have listed there I think you easily fit everyone you know under at least two. Then there are the people that you would rather you never met: the ones that I can only call 'bullshitters'. It's probably not correct for me to write it because I would never say to anyone's face - well I wouldn't have in the past - but for the purposes of this post it'll have to do. The thing that annoys me about this 'class' of people is that they seem to be more popular than everyone else but just from listening to them I don't get it. Why would you want to listen to someone talk about themselves when they are clearly being hyperbolic or just plain liars? I certainly wouldn't want to be thought of as being one of those people who say the first thing that comes into their head, true or not. I guess that people listen to them for the same reason that they read tabloids and gossip magazines: we like to believe things that aren't true. This is why those people tend to appear to be more popular than the quiet people: people like to hear lies.

Then you move on to professional liars. A breed of people that we all have a favourite from and that will always make us sit up and pay attention when they talk. People with wit and impeccable observational skills (and with that you know I can't be talking about politicians!). Of course, I am talking about comedians. When I was younger and I used to watch stand-up comedy, I used to think that these people were the luckiest people alive. For their job they have to have interesting (and obviously funny) stories to tell and low and behold they always seem to have one of those very moments just before they go on stage. In the past 10 years or so I've realised that it's all rubbish that they splurge out; it's hilarious rubbish sometimes but it's rubbish nevertheless. They make their living out of making boring stories interesting and for this reason they are especially good and convincing liars.

The next thing I realised is just how much people around me lie. We all do it on a daily basis and you really can see when someone doesn't want to do something or go somewhere because they will blatantly lie. I know some really bright people so they are particularly good at coming up with believable excuses but there are some who can't think on their feet at all and say that they have to go and wash their elephant! I do it myself sometimes although not nearly as much as others. Usually if I don't want to do something I'll say that I don't want to do it. Then there are times when I catch myself making something up on the spot and all I can do is cross my fingers and hope that I can come up with something good. It's natural to tell lies to each other but to be good at it is a completely different kettle of fish. The next time you lie to someone (consciously or not) think about it afterwards and firstly see if it was actually worth it in the circumstances and then you can decide just how good it was. A good lie is almost as good as telling the truth; you just have to know when to do it.

It appears that I'm condoning lying in a regular basis - I'm not. I hate consistent liars and I can pick them out pretty quickly. In fact persistent liars don't really stand a chance because we can all spot them a mile off. The thing that worries me is when people lie because they think it will make them more popular. Take for example that picture at the top of my blog: I could say that I went diving with sharks in an aquarium (which I did) or I could jazz it up by saying I went diving with sharks in the sea and had to push one of them away before it bit me - the nasty git! The latter is a more interesting story and certainly something that you would love to bring up in a social setting. I prefer to tell people how it is - the former might be less interesting but for my purposes (i.e. not needing my ego stroked every few minutes) it will suffice. After all it's still a nice thing to be able to bring up in conversation; why lie about it?

Thanks again for reading. I'm going to go back to relaxing and revising (a paradox if ever there was one) and you shall hear from me on Wednesday!

Martin