Saturday, June 5, 2010

Liar

Everyone of us must have lied at least at one point of time. At least, you must have lied to your kid to make him eat properly. However, we are always scared of being identified as a liar though we are comfortable with its synonyms ("a successful salesman"). The psychology and even vocabulary books classify liars into different categories.

Here I just think about those who lie habitually - just as they go. Not those who strategically or prudently lie for serious matters. I just think about those who naturally lie whenever something comes upon them. What I understand is that such a liar makes all those who are around him liars. For example, there are friends standing together in a party. The power went off suddenly and Mr. A has spilled the drink on floor. When the lights are on again, the guys naturally ask Mr. A, who is standing nearby the spilled drink, how it happened. He habitually lies that he didn't do that. Now, no one else in the group can admit the responsibility simply because they didn't do that. Thus, one habitual liar in that group has made everybody a liar to each other. This is the potential danger with the habit of lying habitually. the danger is because it happens in ordinary occasions.

The danger for the habitual liar is that he is often caught; he is also often doubted in his circle for the mistakes he hasn't committed. However, it is only with respect to those who know about him personally. Otherwise, he is potentially dangerous in portraying others as liars.

We may also have that habit hidden inside - not manifested in all the occasions, but in few. I believe that such a habit develops in us because we do not recognize the thrill in being faithful to the incident that happens in front of us. Once we start registering the incidents as they happen without allowing our feelings or thoughts to interfere, the habitual lying is likely to disappear. The key is how we register the incident in our mind - no matter whether we are invloved with the incident or somebody else is invloved. Most of the habitual liars do not have the right record of the incident in their minds - it is recorded or attempted to be recorded by their minds in the way how they wish that it should have happened. This false record or the confusion in their minds the between the original record and the desired record is exhibited as a habitual lie when it is communicated out.

It is very much important that one has to come out of this confusion or false recording of any incident. The observer should distance himself from what is observed (Zen?!). Once recorded as it happened, the observer then has the choice how to communicate it outside. He can 'choose' to communicate it how it happened or he can still 'choose' to lie. But, it is in his hands - that is the point. He no more lies habitually. Even if he lies, it is a conscious decision to do so and therefore, he minimizes the chances of being caught! Enough for this post!