Two Truths and a Lie

"The best lies to tell are the ones people want to believe."

This is an interesting quote from Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey (not the 50 kind, thank goodness).

Interesting because it is both positive and negative. I'm always spotting contradictions because I'm always searching for balance. Balance is the key to getting through the moment, through the day, through life.

Contradictions mimic a scale: two opposing things battling for weight, the spotlight. Let's examine the contradictions in the above quote so that we can savor the balance.

Best and Lies: Can lies, in their very nature, be called best? We are taught right from wrong, and we are taught that lying is bad; lies lead to trouble. They create a tangled web that ensnares and then dumps us into embarrassing (or worse) situations. Does a best lie exist? If a lie is best, does that make it okay to use? Is silence a lie?

Lies and Believe: If told cleverly, a lie is easily believed. Is this really a contradiction? I think it is. If someone doesn't believe, is it really a lie?  We can believe in lies, but we can also believe in truths. Confusing, isn't it? That's why I like contradictions. They create thought. They create questions, and questions lead to debate, and debate leads to answers or even to more questions. Don't stop questioning the contradictions. Don't stop questioning the lies and the truths.

The quote tells us that people want lies if the truth is unthinkable, unbearable, unflattering. This may apply to many, but not to me. I prefer the truth. Yes, the truth can be ugly, but deception and self deception are far worse. Don't lie to me to spare my feelings. I have developed a steely armor against such shenanigans. But this is a digression. 

Where is the balance in this quote?

People and Believe: We can believe in people, but we don't always believe people. Sounds sneakily like a contradiction! You're getting there! It's hard to determine how many lies are flung at us throughout our day. I would like to think most people are honest or at least considerate enough to keep silent. This doesn't make me gullible, it makes me hopeful. I know people lie, but I want to believe you because I believe in you:

If you open your mouth and a lie snakes out, I will believe you.
If you open your mouth and a truth wings out, I will believe you.

You decide which path to trod, which lie to tell, which truth to reveal. You decide when silence is golden.

Did you spot my contradiction? It's there. I contradicted myself on purpose because it's my blog, and I'm allowed. Actually, I contradicted myself because that's how life is sometimes. Never look at just one side, and never think that one side is completely right or completely wrong. It's a muddle, and life is a beautiful mess of contradictions and balance.

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If you want to be saturated with contradictions and balance, read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.