Lies. On some level i think that we all have lied, even if only to ourselves. Lies can be minor, major, unintentional, polite and a variety of other categories that i might not have time or space to identify. The thought that leads me to write today is: how do we know when we (or others) are lying. My ego desires to know when others aren't truthful, but it's infinitely more difficult and important that i identify lies within myself. As i see it, there are a few ways to identify a lie:
1. Continuity. Lies aren't as easily repeatable as the truth. Consciously creating fiction requires us to remember exactly what we said and thus the story may differ over time. When i tell the truth, it's always easier to recall the same way. This should hold true for others, logical to me at least.
2. Detail. Anyone can lie about something, but i would never be able to provide as much detail to a lie as i would the truth. Recalling truth doesn't inhibit us from remembering all truthful things surrounding a topic. Creating a lie also may require a person to create supporting lies. The truth, again, is easier to detail b/c all of the pieces fit together naturally. Because a lie is unnatural, it has the tendency of not fitting in with it's surroundings.
3. "Unpleasantry". Elements of the truth can be unpleasant, commonly referred to as "the truth hurts".. i imagine that most truths carry some element of rawness with them. "If it's too good to be true.." is a cynical way to to look at things and thus not great for determinations. Although truths may be raw, i don't think that convincing ourselves that anything is "too good" is beneficial. "Too good" is not a problem! Differentiating between the unrefined sincerity of truth and the intentional negativity of cynicism.
--to be continued (TBC)
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