Would you try to count the average number of times you lie during a day? For those who don't know how, count your number of lies for a week and then divide by seven. My guess is that the answer will be significantly higher than zero. Actually, my guess is different, but I'll reveal that later.
We lie, lie, lie, all the time. It's not just the fruit seller telling you that he is giving you A-grade merchandise, whereas actually it is B-grade being sold on a higher price. It's not just the chicken seller who falsely accuses others of clever tricks to explain why he's charging a higher price. It's not just the clothes seller who claims his merchandise to be A-grade export quality or imported stuff, when it is not. It's me and you, as well. If you disagree, perhaps you should take another look at your definition of a "lie".
For example, calling an animal to come to you pretending to have food in your palm, while your hand is empty is a lie. For example, telling your child that you'll buy them a toy tomorrow, which you certainly don't intend to, is a lie. For example, telling your boss that you couldn't come to work because of being sick while you were just being lazy, is a lie. For example, when you tell the traffic cop that the light was green when you passed it after being stopped for skipping a red light, is a lie.
No lie is too small. Big and small are relative terms. As I note earlier, the definition of lie is relative. The problem is, that if you accept little lies, your threshold of small creeps up slowly. What you earlier considered a big lie, becomes a small one. But, what's wrong with that?
Most of us are worried that we are ruled by crooks. I'm not talking about the present regime or the previous one, or the next one. Some portion of society is unhappy because of that reason at all times. Most of us are worried about the corrupt bureaucracy. I hate to generalize, there are good politicians and there are good bureaucrats, but let's admit that the average case is pretty bad. It comes as no surprise to me, because these guys are from amongst us. They're not aliens or foreigners. So, how can we expect them to be different. And lying, being the root of all evil..., can you do the math?
To those who are expecting a great change, through a regime change following the next elections: wake up! If you have a country full of liars, except for few, what are the odds of electing a few hundred nice, clean men? In other words, if you have a box full of black balls, with one or two white balls, what is the probability that you pick a few hundred white balls?
And to everyone, let's just stop complaining about corrupt this and corrupt that. We have no right to do that. Once a thief tried to rob a house at night and injured himself over a knife lying on the floor. He sued the home owners for negligence that caused him harm. Does that make any sense? No? Then, how can we, liars, complaint about others lying about ending load shedding in 6 months or changing the fate of the nation in one year and so on. Just zip it!
The regime only robs me a limited number of times a day when I purchase over-taxed stuff. All of the common folks around me continuously rob me by being unfair - by skipping a queue, or skipping a red light, or passing me on the left hand side or showing no respect for the lanes on the road. Shouldn't I hate you all more than I hate the government?
To get meaningful change, we must first change ourselves. Respect others, be truthful in speech and in action, be fair and honest. Only then, do we have a little bit of hope of change.
Now, onto the average number of lies you tell. When you ask a liar to tell the number of lies he has told, what do you expect in reply? A lie! So, I bet, for most of you, the answer will be quite close to 0.
We lie, lie, lie, all the time. It's not just the fruit seller telling you that he is giving you A-grade merchandise, whereas actually it is B-grade being sold on a higher price. It's not just the chicken seller who falsely accuses others of clever tricks to explain why he's charging a higher price. It's not just the clothes seller who claims his merchandise to be A-grade export quality or imported stuff, when it is not. It's me and you, as well. If you disagree, perhaps you should take another look at your definition of a "lie".
For example, calling an animal to come to you pretending to have food in your palm, while your hand is empty is a lie. For example, telling your child that you'll buy them a toy tomorrow, which you certainly don't intend to, is a lie. For example, telling your boss that you couldn't come to work because of being sick while you were just being lazy, is a lie. For example, when you tell the traffic cop that the light was green when you passed it after being stopped for skipping a red light, is a lie.
No lie is too small. Big and small are relative terms. As I note earlier, the definition of lie is relative. The problem is, that if you accept little lies, your threshold of small creeps up slowly. What you earlier considered a big lie, becomes a small one. But, what's wrong with that?
Most of us are worried that we are ruled by crooks. I'm not talking about the present regime or the previous one, or the next one. Some portion of society is unhappy because of that reason at all times. Most of us are worried about the corrupt bureaucracy. I hate to generalize, there are good politicians and there are good bureaucrats, but let's admit that the average case is pretty bad. It comes as no surprise to me, because these guys are from amongst us. They're not aliens or foreigners. So, how can we expect them to be different. And lying, being the root of all evil..., can you do the math?
To those who are expecting a great change, through a regime change following the next elections: wake up! If you have a country full of liars, except for few, what are the odds of electing a few hundred nice, clean men? In other words, if you have a box full of black balls, with one or two white balls, what is the probability that you pick a few hundred white balls?
And to everyone, let's just stop complaining about corrupt this and corrupt that. We have no right to do that. Once a thief tried to rob a house at night and injured himself over a knife lying on the floor. He sued the home owners for negligence that caused him harm. Does that make any sense? No? Then, how can we, liars, complaint about others lying about ending load shedding in 6 months or changing the fate of the nation in one year and so on. Just zip it!
The regime only robs me a limited number of times a day when I purchase over-taxed stuff. All of the common folks around me continuously rob me by being unfair - by skipping a queue, or skipping a red light, or passing me on the left hand side or showing no respect for the lanes on the road. Shouldn't I hate you all more than I hate the government?
To get meaningful change, we must first change ourselves. Respect others, be truthful in speech and in action, be fair and honest. Only then, do we have a little bit of hope of change.
Now, onto the average number of lies you tell. When you ask a liar to tell the number of lies he has told, what do you expect in reply? A lie! So, I bet, for most of you, the answer will be quite close to 0.
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