Lies and Deceptions

Who taught us to lie? What is it in human social development that teaches us to at times mislead our fellow man? Along those lines, who decided that white lies hurt no one? Even if a lie is said to make a truth less painful, what of when the lie is discovered? Is not more lost then, than was at risk in telling the truth? For not only is the painful truth discovered, but also the dishonesty is revealed. Lies are fascinating things. I often say that much of what I write you is a lie, and you should trust no less of me. But what if there was a way to lie without hurting people. I speak now of fiction and the creation of dreams. Lies, even white lies, have the potential for harm, which is funny because what we call fiction can be a lie used to inspire. The difference is the hidden intent I suppose, as we are first told that a thing is fiction, then choose to believe in it and be inspired. This is the inverse of the setup which a "lie" takes, for in a lie we are told or expected to believe without our own consent and are never directly given the choice to believe what is not true. I would like to think that for you I write fiction, though what I write is a lie. Although the names have been changed to protect the innocent, and the stories are modified, edited, or redacted that I do no harm to you by such, and that if you really wanted the truth you could ask me and I would tell it to the best of my ability. I hope and pray that I have not treated you as the world has treated me. Because even the white lies hurt. The white lies make a silent judgment against their recipient. Even omission is better as its judgment is different. Omission assumes that the recipient is not ready, capable, or qualified to know. The white lie assumes not only that which omission connotes, but also it treats me like a child and takes away my ability to speculate as to why I cannot know. Rather than giving me the benefit of the doubt that I will understand, it tells me what to understand and why to believe it, although it within itself is still a lie. One is passive and withholds, the other is active and both withholds and attacks.

I find it funny that such a thing is defined as thus:

White Lie
n.
An often trivial, diplomatic or well-intentioned untruth.

It is funny because these are the lies we tell to those we do not wish to hurt. But in doing so we prove that we also do not respect them. We do not respect their mental right to decide and to question. We may respect their feelings, but not enough for a truth. Funny, that we would do more harm to those we care about by trying to reduce pain... Funny.