I’ve just completed a year trying not to tell a single lie. I failed, of course, I told three – but I’ve succeeded in ways I could never have expected.
Not lying for a year was my commitment to finding truth. It was a rough old ride at times, but I’ve discovered some pretty amazing things. The last year hasn’t changed my life – the death of my father, meeting my wife, the birth of my kids, these things changed my life – but my life is changing every day.
And of course I’m going to continue trying to tell the truth. Because I’ve learnt truth as we see it isn’t really truth at all.
Because Truth can never be a lie.
2 Comments
February 26, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Congratulations!
The truth is important. At least I believe it is.
It must’ve been difficult considering the biologists tell us our brains “evolved” in order to manipulate and lie.
“In 1978, Richard Dawkins and John Krebs pointed out that animals use communication principally to manipulate one another rather than to transfer information.” — Matt Ridley, biologist, 1993
April 18, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Kant is not the person to study in terms of truth telling. Read Bonhoeffer’s “What Is Meant by ‘Telling the Truth’?” for a much better discussion on the subject. Bonhoeffer will not seem nearly as rigid as Kant, but as you read, you’ll notice that he pushes the practice of our faith beyond doing and to being. In other words, it is much more significant that Jesus WAS Truth rather than that he told the truth. Of course, he was and did, but Bonhoeffer asserts that we most often find ourselves doing rather than being.
I especially appreciate his opening paragraphs in which he discusses the difference between a child being truthful to his/her parent and a parent being truthful to the child. A small child should certainly disclose all information to a parent whenever asked, and a parent should certainly NOT disclose all information to a child without filtering it through his/her love for that child.
Emily Dickinson was wise here as she encouraged us to
“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—
Success in Cirrcuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightening to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—”
Thank you for your posts and for allowing a comment. May God bless you and your family.