In his latest movie ‘The Invention of Lying’, Ricky Gervais lives in a world where everyone always tells the truth no matter how insulting it may be. There is no such thing as being able to tell a lie. Not whoppers and not little white harmless ones. Until one day Ricky Gervais develops the skill to lie.
“Of course I’ll respect you in the morning.”
The premise is the reverse to the Jim Carrey movie ‘Liar, Liar’ where by some magical circumstance Carrey’s character finds he must always tell the truth. Always!
“Yes, your bum does look big in those pants.”
Both scenarios create humours social interactions (actually they don’t really but stay with me) which I’m not going to outline here – rent the movies. Or even better, download them.
Lying in all its forms is nothing more than hiding from the truth. But lying can be instigated through fear. The fear of repercussions, the unknown. It can then be argued somewhat circularly that we are fearful of the truth. While it is said that the truth can set us free human nature is generally concerned not with freedom but with protection. Fear has become on a geopolitical scale the most insidious method or tactic by which governments of all flavours control the will of the people.
The answer is not to take on large and heavily organised governments or even subsets of them but to look within and find the strength to over our own individual fears. Beyond threat to life and limb of fire, sharp objects and the myriad of Australian creepy crawlies that surround us, but the simplest of things.
- Answering the phone even when it says, ‘blocked’ number because it could be the bank asking for a payment.
- Asking that girl in the café for lunch even though she might say no.
- Ringing the head hunter to ask the progress or result of an application even though they might say no.
- Ringing someone to give them bad news just because it’s going to be a hard conversation.
- Do the work/chore/whatever now and stop procrastinating.
Add to my list in the comments section the things that you fear. Perhaps it’s writing in the comments section of someone’s blog because other people might see it and think you’re weird…