Yeah, yeah yeah!
We’ve been to the moon; so respect to Neil, “Buzz” and the guy who hung around, like a dutiful parent, to collect them from their lunar playground; you know; that guy called Michael Collins*, the one who history seems to keep forgetting.
**They went to the moon in ’69 and today we know more about anything than we really need to know and our rate of “evolution” nears a state of technological and social revolution, yet what of the greatest achievement of humans? What of a trait that is probably as old as “hominids” and yet is still as influential and relevant as anything we have come up with so far? A trait that becomes, with use, a life skill, a method of control and, for some people(s), a way of life. For everyone in the world I would say this is a fact of life.
Asking Michael Collins* (one of the "moon men") “Are you happy with your spot in history?” a reply “of being part of a never to be forgotten achievement of humankind is enough for me” seems true enough; but I bet it stings to be almost always the forgotten man. His “honest” answer may be a lie, which illustrates our topic for consideration today.
Lying!
Lying is a skill that is undoubtedly a required tool in any social etiquette, a most powerful mechanism that society has and does rely upon, yet paradoxically eschews its use. Our official position regarding lying seems to be a lie itself. The world cannot get by without lying.
Lying is officially “verboten” but its proscription merely constitutes a social model from those in charge, giving warning that (gross) lying will induce, or expedite, social retribution (prison), social unrest (UK media induced moral panics) and ultimately social breakdown; war being the absolute example of that state (Bush & Blair & Putin!). The proscription of lying merely offers social guidance to novice liars, that they must take care in their discretionary but ultimately required use of it, and though society wants to deny lying, it repeatedly accepts it for its positive values
If lying were a person it could be a sociopath. A superficial, smooth talking, confidence inducing, flattering and likeable “friend of the people”, eager to seem to please in order to integrate or insinuate their desires into the lives of others, for whom acceptance of a lie may be delusional or complicit (through ignorance or world-weariness); or it could be a person capable of lying to be amoral, coldly manipulative, deceitful, malevolent, menacing, and ultimately life threatening, and yet, surprisingly, sometimes still validated and mandated by its “sufferers”, again through ignorance, world-weariness or a profoundly pragmatic survival response. (What would you do when faced with the likes of Putin, Joe Stalin, Mr H, Mugabee, Amin, PolPot, Hussien, …?)
We may not know a sociopath but we all know a liar as we are each one to varying degrees, for not to be so would render us socially outcast.
A few real-world examples of lying close this piece, summarised by the simile that lying greases the wheels of society but you do not want to smell of it.
Bedrock Social Lying – the lubrication of life:
Q. Do you like this suit?
A. It looks good (on a hanger as opposed to the lump you have become).
Q. What do you think of the new car?
A. It's wonderful (that you still believe a bi-annual visit to us in your new car is anything more then it really is and yet, truly, it does make your penis seem a bit bigger!)
Speculative Social Lying – the enhancement of life:
You have things as I would have them (had I thrown them off a cliff)
Your input is valued – I never thought of that (you intrusive bothersome meddler)
I’ll call you and we can meet again (in the after-life if possible)
I’ve really enjoyed our meeting (for you came across to the group as an arse).
Defensive lying – the social excuse:
I intended to do that for you but things went astray (Do your own work!)
I though you meant ……. (I don’t care what you want)
I was told to do it but I'm really sorry (That pissed you off but I don’t care)
Offensive lying – the social manipulator:
This is good for you, good for us (and best for me)
If not strong we are nothing (and I'll invade to win an election - Bush & Blair and then Putin)
The law says…. (I know about a weapon to use against you)
* Obituary of Micheal CollinsU POETRY
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