The only thing worse than a lie is the person who tells one knowing it is false.
People who willingly and knowingly tell lies are morally derelict. Such people not only hurt themselves but over time the social fabric when people no longer distinguish truth from fiction. This is especially important in democratic societies where trust is crucial in the political process, while in totalitarian societies leaders determine what is to be accepted as truth.
Centuries ago the Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift wrote: “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect.”
In our times, it’s said that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.
Lies come in all shapes and sizes, some worse than others. Some lie to avoid the truth from themselves. Others lie to protect others from hurtful truths. Others lie because as George Constanza says in a 1995 episode of “Seinfeld”: “Just remember. It’s not a lie…if you believe it.” That makes a lie delusional, but that’s a subject more for therapists than ethicists.
Intention: The liar intends to deceive or mislead
Generally speaking there are three pathways to knowledge about anything — literal, factual and understanding. Each is at play in everyday life from relating to family, friends, teachers or even the persuaders in our midst trying to sell us something or convince us to vote for them.
Consider the following case to illustrate these three pathways to knowledge: Someone tells you they are “turning over a new leaf.” What does that mean?
The literalist takes the person talking about turning over a new leaf to mean precisely that, no more nor less. One imagines that person in the yard actually turning leaves over on the ground one by one looking for the new green one. Seems foolish, right? Perhaps, but many take things literally and don’t go deeper. They end up thinking they know enough, which is never enough
The one who looks beyond the words to the facts behind them discovers that centuries ago a “leaf” was what a page in a book was called. Thus, turning over a new leaf meant turning to the next page in the book you are reading. This knowledge rests on facts, such as one plus one equals two or the sun rises in the morning.
The deepest dimension of knowledge is understanding. Beyond the literal and factual meaning of any statement is what the words mean. A person saying he or she is turning over a new leaf is describing something important that needs to be heard and acknowledged. Like symbols, words may point to some deeper truths.
We live in times in which literalists abound and words are twisted so that facts don’t matter, thus understanding is blocked. No wonder things are confused and chaotic. We’ve lost not only facts but shared understandings. No group — family or nation — cannot survive without shared understanding.
We have some historic shared understandings in our country that while under attack these days have stood the test of time. Among them are the belief in our Constitution as our guide, voting as how we select our leaders, the primacy of law, and such basic rights as the right to speak and believe freely.
The broader issue is how we get information in our age where it flies faster than mosquitoes on a summer night. How do we sort out truth from fiction? How do we understand intentions?
There are a few ways to assess telling lies from truths.
The first way is to sort out the facts before making a judgment. Is what the person saying true to the facts of the case as best as you can discover?
Then listen to your intuition. What is your immediate emotional response to any assertion someone makes? What does your gut tell you about the truth or falsehood of any statement?
The other day I found a Bible my father gave me when I turned 12. The words he wrote in the front page are still true: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).
John C. Morgan is an author and teacher who writes about ethical subjects. A collection of his columns, “Everyday Wisdom, is available on Amazon.
