White Lies And Black Silence
The white lie is protected by a social seal of mutual approval. If it doesn't hurt anyone (and it's said with the best of intentions), it's perfectly okay to lie as much as you like.
“How does this dress look?”
“It’s absolutely fantastic.”
The truth doesn’t matter. Even if that dress blows big-time, a good “That’s a nice outfit” is a kind response. A listener loves a relationship-nourishing lie. That makes lying an integral part of human communication. It’s lovely. It’s automatic. It’s not a lie at all. It's just talking.
Just how far can we go to allow a lie to infiltrate human interactions?
Santa Claus and Unicorns.
Fiction gives us entertainment. It’s lying, to express our desires, hopes and fears through creative storytelling. We want this lie. Humanity smiles when it’s celebrating and sharing wonderful fantasies. A lie can infiltrate our children. There is another lie that’ll snake its way into the conversation.
Silence.
“Did you just fuck my sister?”
Steely nothingness.
Silence isn't exactly a lie, but it sure feels frosty. Joy is sucked right out of the room. When someone avoids saying something, something needs to be said. Surely it’s not about the fuck’s details, right? Really? What's done is done. Specifics won't change it. Then again, silence isn’t fact. Speculation isn’t fact either. Silence isn't acknowledgement — it's nothing. Nothing means nothing happened. Perhaps.
Suspicion.
Proof. That's what's needed. No one saw the fuck take place, so the truth needs to be said to prove it. So say it. Just say it. Dammit.
“Yes, I fucked your sister, and it was a good fuck indeed.”
Wrong answer.
And who says indeed?
Other Ways To Lie
Half-truths, deflections and provable lies.
Given that it’s completely acceptable to let deception take part in our lives, it comes down to when one crosses the line — our line. There’s a point when even a white lie turns black. That’s about the time when I step up to settle the score.
In SEETHINGS, the truth is plastic. It's a white lie that grows but remains white. You won't see the black lie coming when it finally hits. Your jaw will drop.