Today's blog prompt on NaBloPoMo is just silly: If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be? So, today, I'm picking my own topic: Why the Truth Matters
I started out my morning watching a video from TED.com entitled, "How to Spot a Liar".
The stats were a little disheartening, though. I like to think that most of the people that I meet or talk to on a day-to-day basis are honest people. I like to think that I'm not being lied to up to 200 times a day (stat according to the video). I like to think that our society has more integrity than that.
Ever since I was a teenager, I've had trouble spotting a liar. I don't know if this is because I am too trusting or just plain stupid to the fact that people don't always tell the truth. In fact, I'm so bad at this that I've had certain relationships where I've been lied to for years...only to be utterly shocked when the truth finally comes out. There have been times where my naivety has had devastating consequences to me and the people around me.
So, what's the solution? Do I abandon all trust and scrutinize strangers, friends, family, and even my own husband?
In the video, Pamela Meyer claims that a lie requires two people: one person to tell the lie and another person to accept it. Is this true? Are we participating in the lie by believing it? Should we constantly be trying to "spot a liar" in our conversations with strangers, business acquaintances, and friends?
And while I'm not altogether proud of the fact that I'm easy to lie to, I kind of hope it doesn't change. I like to be trusting of people, and I like to believe that, as Anne Frank put it, "Despite everything ... people are really good at heart."
Yes, I think that's about right: people are good, and I hope I always have that outlook.