Mission Statement

Why would you lie about anything at all?
First the window, then it's to the wall
Lil' Jon, he always tells the truth
Vampire Weekend

What would life be like if everybody only told the truth?

This was the original idea that led me to create this blog. And I wondered this because I think that the question raised by the above lyric is valid. Why would you lie about anything at all?

Obviously murderers, swindlers, rapists, etc. lie and we can all agree that this isn’t good human behavior, and we can feel good about judging them and saying we wouldn’t tell lies for the same reasons they do. But what about all the lying that has become ingrained in the ways of our society? Guys lie, mislead and manipulate girls to sleep with them. We all lie and misrepresent in order to move ahead in the workplace, and in some cases, in purely social circles. People lie to their friends and family about their plans for the night, their feelings towards each other, their reasons for doing the things that they do. And it may not always be a straight-up lie, but certainly, for one reason or another, there are a whole lot of things we’re not comfortable telling each other about what we think, what we do, and why we do what we do.

I know that to some degree we have all wondered about this, but in the end just settle on that it doesn't really matter, because that's just the way it is. But in reality, there are reasons for this- human nature, the structure of society, etc. I'm just not ready to accept that we can't do better. And I think the path to doing better is the same as it is with solving any problem- the first step of which is understanding it.

So... why can’t we just admit to all our failures, shortcomings, and lapses in judgment? Why must we attempt to hide them from others? Is it because other people are so helplessly closed-minded, judgmental, and eager to step on each other when anything that can be perceived as a weakness is displayed, that we must avoid showing any imperfections unless absolutely necessary?

And why can’t people be clearer, and more upfront about their intentions and feelings in any given situation? Is it because we know that we are such self-centered, bad-intentioned creatures that everyone would hate us if they found out what we were really thinking all the time… even though, assumedly, they think the same way?

I think that both of those answers are true to some degree.. but I for one am not ready to just sit back and accept them. I’m not even ready to compromise that it’s some toned-down combination of the two, and lying is just our way making it easier to live with. Not yet. For I believe that humans, by nature, want to be good. First, we want to survive... with that covered, yes, we want to be good.

That is why we feel guilt about lying and doing “bad” things. That’s why the superficial and the power hungry (among others) have to sacrifice clear-headedness and even the prospect of lasting, authentic happiness when they value money, power and image at the expense of good.

My dream is of a society where it’s okay to tell your boss you were late for work because you felt you needed the extra half hour of rest. Where friends don’t tell other friends they’re too tired to go out, or they have to catch up on work when really they just don’t feel like doing what you’re doing. I dream of the day that it’s okay to tell a friend he’s being self-centered, vein, or prejudiced, because the endlessness of human imperfection has been fully accepted as our nature and our way of life.

So that is why I have created this blog- to get outlandishly carried away with myself, and to see what I can figure out in the process. This topic, for me, raises many many questions about human nature, what we are capable of, and ultimately, what we can do to lead meaningful lives that forward the growth and betterment of our species.

...To think I can find definitive answers to these questions would be stupidly ambitious of me, but then again, not to try and to find out everything I can would be, well, at least as meaningless. I know this all sounds vague and maybe naive, but in future posts I will get specific about these ideas, with evidence and references, and we'll see how far we can go. I’ve got a library card, a college education and a computer. Gotta start somewhere…