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Distorting the Truth
When there is a lie, the offense runs deeper than the lie itself. A lie
is an instrument to achieve some hidden purpose. To whatever
degree the purpose is wrong, the lie and the liar are equally wrong.
To paraphrase Adolph Hitler: "Don’t tell a small lie. If you want people to believe you, tell an enormous lie and repeat it often."
We saw that movie. A grand lie serves a grand purpose — a sweeping, all-encompassing manipulation of those who fall under its influence and who would be horrified if they knew the eventual cost and how badly they are being used. Armies march into wars of aggression with their heads full of lies about defense. Democracies are subverted and replaced with mafia by those lying about what is going on. The masses discover too late that they were pawns who surrendered their power and well-being. The wealthy — who thought they would prosper in the new regime — discover that their wealth can be “reassigned” to an officer of the mafia. The conspirators, who believed their loyalty would put them in the inner circle, find they can only leave by death, and there is no peace or security in doing the regime's dirtywork.
We focus on the machinations of seizing power. But the thing that drives authoritarian regimes into existence, and makes them tick, is corruption. They play on fears to gain a foothold, but can't produce a sincere policy statement because they aren't interested in governance. Once the corrupt gain the levers of power, they gather the country's wealth for themselves, while citizens die of diseases that could be cured for a dollar. Their hallmark is endless gaslighting.
Mites are required by law to tell the truth and be honest about what they know and don’t know. Politicians especially must find their facts in scholarly studies and reports and cite their source material. They can debate values and policies, but it is never acceptable to politicize the truth. The rational functioning of society and science hinges on respect for objective reality. If the facts do not sell an idea, then abandon it—anything else damages someone or everyone.
When the Founders began the genetics project that became us, their first goal was to achieve good-heartedness. Without that, any nascent population would self-destruct. Honesty is one manifestation of good-heartedness — lying a form of deceit. It is obvious why we want others to be reliable and fair. Honesty is not just a code or policy of good character; it is foundational to society.
The story continues here.
Home | Creation Story | Warriors | Honesty | Limits | Class | Gender | Religion | Sexuality | Countries | Stewardship | Author | Contact
Copyright (c) 2024 by Don Knight
To paraphrase Adolph Hitler: "Don’t tell a small lie. If you want people to believe you, tell an enormous lie and repeat it often."
We saw that movie. A grand lie serves a grand purpose — a sweeping, all-encompassing manipulation of those who fall under its influence and who would be horrified if they knew the eventual cost and how badly they are being used. Armies march into wars of aggression with their heads full of lies about defense. Democracies are subverted and replaced with mafia by those lying about what is going on. The masses discover too late that they were pawns who surrendered their power and well-being. The wealthy — who thought they would prosper in the new regime — discover that their wealth can be “reassigned” to an officer of the mafia. The conspirators, who believed their loyalty would put them in the inner circle, find they can only leave by death, and there is no peace or security in doing the regime's dirtywork.
We focus on the machinations of seizing power. But the thing that drives authoritarian regimes into existence, and makes them tick, is corruption. They play on fears to gain a foothold, but can't produce a sincere policy statement because they aren't interested in governance. Once the corrupt gain the levers of power, they gather the country's wealth for themselves, while citizens die of diseases that could be cured for a dollar. Their hallmark is endless gaslighting.
Mites are required by law to tell the truth and be honest about what they know and don’t know. Politicians especially must find their facts in scholarly studies and reports and cite their source material. They can debate values and policies, but it is never acceptable to politicize the truth. The rational functioning of society and science hinges on respect for objective reality. If the facts do not sell an idea, then abandon it—anything else damages someone or everyone.
When the Founders began the genetics project that became us, their first goal was to achieve good-heartedness. Without that, any nascent population would self-destruct. Honesty is one manifestation of good-heartedness — lying a form of deceit. It is obvious why we want others to be reliable and fair. Honesty is not just a code or policy of good character; it is foundational to society.
The story continues here.
Home | Creation Story | Warriors | Honesty | Limits | Class | Gender | Religion | Sexuality | Countries | Stewardship | Author | Contact
Copyright (c) 2024 by Don Knight
He who gains cooperation by
distorting the truth is up to no good.
distorting the truth is up to no good.