I’ve been long fascinated with lying. One of the most significant books that I’ve ever read was Lying by Sissela Bok, who makes the point that there are moral consequences of lying, even for a good cause.
I almost started watching Lie To Me, that FOX show about this guy who can always discern a liar. Almost everyone believes they recognize a liar, but listening to some of the political discourse, I’m not convinced of that.
Surely, American jurisprudence is based heavily on the notion that the jury can tell who’s lying and who is not. And it’s scary; I find that, particularly in periods of stress, I engage in behaviors commonly associated with lying, such as repeating the questioners words, so that I am not misunderstood. This is especially true when asked a question is asked negatively: “Isn’t it true that…?”
The Three Dog Night song Liar:
Video
Lyrics
Almost started?!? You’ve got to watch it, and not just because the main character, Cal Lightman, is every bit as pompous and arrogant as my hubby ;-P
Lying is a way of showing contempt for other people.
Think about it. Lying is an aggressive act. By lying to someone you are in effect saying, “I don’t have to tell you the truth because you don’t have the power to punish me for lying to you.” You don’t dare to lie to your “superiors,” at least not overtly. But you openly lie to your “inferiors” … because you can. Because you think you must.
If you believe in equality, then you try not to lie to other people. If everyone is equal, then no one has to lie to anyone because there is no reason to demonstrate contempt for other people. No more competition, you see.
The world is packed with liars. So many competing people demonstrating their contempt for one another. Ack.
What is the minimum for a forensic psychologist salary?