A Terrible Liar - Jan 5 2023

 

A Terrible Liar

Jan 5 2023

I was a terrible liar

when I was young.

Because kids lie,

once they've learned how

and grasped its power.

And because I was bad at it,

transparent lies

with little thought

of consequence.

A child needs to have a “theory of mind”

to understand lying;

which, at its simplest

is the that other people see the world differently.

So I fibbed

about brushing my teeth

who snuck the cookies

and going to sleep,

when I was really reading under covers

until the flashlight ran out.

Nothing major;

no fraud

ponzi scheme

or stock manipulation,

no politician promising

whatever it takes.

And no realization

that my parents saw

through every fabrication;

no fooling anyone.

So I got in trouble for lying.

Trouble is, radical honesty

is just as fraught.

And we often prefer a comforting lie

over cold hard reality.

Although the worst

is lying to yourself

until you actually come to believe it.

And then those who contend

that everything is relative,

there’s no such thing as truth.

Bottom line

it's too much to remember

keeping track of all the lies.

So, like any a good utilitarian

I eventually grew up and learned

it really wasn't worth it;

even though I wish I could say

my decision was purely ethical.

There may be lies, damn lies, and statistics,

half lies and social lies

and the wantonly malicious.

As well as the truth as I see it.

Or at least a truth;

because we all bring a point of view

to seeing the world;

there are honest differences.