Necessity of lying
Like plenty of other people, I've given this a lot of thought over the years. Why do we lie? Do we need to lie? Is it always a bad thing after all? and just like others, I assume, the answer is never super clear.
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The field of evolutionary psychology is one that really fascinates me. Why? Because it really explores the reasons why we act the way that we do, and it offers a framework for potentially understanding what otherwise would be irrational behaviors.
When it comes lying however, it is a little easier to understand. Yes, I'm not saying that lying is a "good thing" per say, but that it's a tool, and we use it often, as much as we've learnt to demonize the action. There is of course degrees of lying, and some of them we find bening, like telling your loved one they've not gained a single pound since the wedding, but other times, the tool can morph our mental landscape profoundly.
There's a comedy, one that came out some years ago that explores a potential world where lying did not exist, and it does an superb job at showing us how we actually need it. I strongly recommend it, more so if you think I'm making excuses for being a bad person.
Which is the final point I'm trying to make. Do bad people lie too much? Is that the problem? Well, maybe, but it's not a necessity nor does correlation imply causation, but it's interesting to note that all of us agree that someone who lies too much is evil, when there are disorders like mythomania out there.
We may hate it, but it seems like we can't have a society without...
MenO
I've never told a lie, and I can prove it.
This one evening, back in 2016, while I was eating dinner with Brad Pitt and some woman who was 'too cool' to introduce herself or even speak to me, I stepped up the buffet to refill my plate. Unfortunately, those people who bring out the food were on break, which really sucked, because I wanted more perogies, and there weren't any left. I turned to Barrack Obama, who was standing beside me, trying to figure out how to use the salad tongs with one hand and I said, "Do we really have to live like this?" He's all like, "No!" Within seconds, three black helicopters, two tanks, and one replica Bigfoot monster truck showed up. Mr. T steps out and he's all like, "Who ordered the perogies." Barrack Obama, the funny guy he is, he points at ME and acts all innocent. Mr. T was all like, "I pity the fool." Then they made me take a lie detector test and I had to pass, otherwise... no perogies. I passed! That's the only test I've ever passed. And that should be proof enough. I also kept some of the perogies in case nobody believes me.
hahhaha good thing you kept the evidence
Any time someone asks me if I'm telling them the truth now, I just show them the perogies and say nothing. Eventually, they leave me alone and stop asking weird questions like, "Where were you on the night of her disappearance?"
'Pierogis'. Lying by deflection is still lying.
They spell it 'perogies' where I'm from... and this was a JOKE. Humor.
Noooooo! Ok, so was my accusation you were lying by mispelling merely an attempt to go along with the joke.
It's all good!
Sometimes my humor goes over a few heads here. That one was pretty obvious but I think because some have taken exception in the past... well. Traumatized. LOL!
If we know what is false then we are able to understand what is the meaning of right. So if it is false and lie in society then only people can able to understan of Truth.
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Excellent review @meno and I agree with you that we are all accustomed to lying around us, that we can’t imagine our life without it!
When I pondered the lying concept it always boils down to fear Imo.
Afraid you will hurt someone’s feelings.
Afraid you won’t get the job.
Afraid you won’t be seen as impressive.
Afraid You or someone will lose their life.
We also lie to ourselves. If you ask me today if I regret anything, I'll tell you now... But I can't promise that's not a lie that I convinced myself of.
If we were truthful always, this would be an ugly world, even uglier than it is today. Why? Just imagine that we could all read each and every thought from each other ;-) In my head I've cursed a 1000 times on route in my car through traffic from home to work... I'm so glad people don't always know what I truly think :-)
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Causation always does mean correlation. It is true that correlation does not always mean causation, however. Just as 2+2 always equals 4, but 4 does not always come from 2+2.
All lies, as you point out, are not equal, and while certain kinds of lies make society possible, particularly those we tell ourselves, certain kinds of lies destroy society.
Thanks!