THERE are so many annoying phrases these days – especially on the radio.
“Thank you for having me,” says an interviewee to the programme host.
Or people often say, “That’s a good question,” when stalling for time to think what to say.
“OMG” is common – with hands over the mouth – not only in the media, but in life in general, and I’m willing to bet my bottom dollar many of those who allow this to trip off their tongue, don’t actually believe in God.
Then there’s the common reaction to a question: “I won’t lie to you.” How truthful is that?
A student said recently: “If I’m honest, if you don’t lie on your CV you’ve no chance of getting a job.”
There is big talk these days of false news – in other words, lying.
Boris Johnson is accused of embroidering the truth – lying. As for Donald Trump, he meanders off into a world of make-believe – lying.
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These people are grown-ups. Has the world corrupted their values and weakened their morals?
How can anyone deny that climate change is happening with the horrors going on at the moment, as Captain Boyle in Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock solemnly proclaims: “The whole worl’s in a state o’ chassis.” I would add, “so it is.”
Surely one of the biggest untruths happens in early childhood when Christmas comes around.
All around the world, letters are written to a man called Santa Claus. Lists of presents requested are made; then milk and a biscuit are put in the child’s room for this complete stranger to come to the bedside, leave the presents, take the snack and go.
And yet children are told never to have anything to do with strangers, not to talk to someone they don’t know, yet parents condone a stranger coming into their child’s bedroom. It’s tradition – and probably won’t change – but Santa is a falsehood.
There are so many shades of a lie. It could simply be small white lie to avoid hurting someone; or it could be big black lie – it might be deception or a conspiracy theory. Mark Twain said: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”.
Lies Live On
Why do we cross our fingers when we tell a lie? Presumably, so you won’t break the ninth commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.”
I still have a guilty conscience about my first lie. As a child I would walk to the village shop for messages. One day my aunt complimented me on how neatly I’d packed the basket, saying I’d the makings of a good housewife. I didn’t correct her by telling her Mrs Burnett in the shop did the packing. I still feel badly about not coming clean.
Teaching children not to tell ‘porky pies’ is not easy. A childminder told me her way of dealing with this was to tell children she’d check their tongues for black spots if she suspected they weren’t telling the truth. And it worked: on occasions she checked tongues, but never found black spots. I recall asking one of my children if they’d cleaned their teeth before going off to school. The answer was yes. “How come then the toothpaste I put on your brush is still there? Do you want to think again?”
Is it possible to go through life without lying?
At a function in the House of Commons I asked a prominent English MP if there is such a thing as an honest politician.
“No,” he replied. “How could we go through business without bending the truth, it would cause chaos. We have to be mindful of not being totally open with the truth.”
It reminded me of the book 1984, George Orwell’s amazing novel of life after a nuclear war shortly after Second World War. The population was watched by Big Brother cameras everywhere. The Thought Police monitored everyone, and in the Ministry of Truth, history was rewritten to suit the party – plus a newly-created language known as Newspeak, designed to limit free thought and promote the Party doctrines.
The hero Winston Smith rebels against this and attempts to live his truth and honesty but he fails.
Sound familiar?
It’s a brilliant book, and if you haven’t already read it, please do.
And now consider Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Scientists have worked hard for the last 60 years developing technology from computers to robots – and now electronics might well take over the running of the world.
Of course, AI is important - it's a vital service. Just think of its uses in the areas of health, business, even in the home. Although some people think Alexa is spying on us as we go about our daily life, I must admit she is a godsend when it comes to spelling.
Experts say AI could become more intelligent than humans, and robots could develop their own agenda, so the programming of all robotics is vitally important, otherwise we could be in trouble.
Witness the impact of ChatGPT, the latest in a series of AIs. Think of Alexa’s Big Brother – tell ChatGPT what you want and this technology can be used to write anything on your behalf.
It’s no wonder schools and universities are concerned that coursework is not actually written by the student but by an artificial intellect – that young man writing his CV can just ask AI to do it for him. The possibilities know no bounds: just think, I might not have written this article at all...
And AI threatens to impersonate people. Actors are going on strike in Hollywood because there is a growing danger of using artificial images cloned from themselves and used in films and ads without having to pay the original actors expensive fees.
Apparently, David Beckham’s image is being used already in this ‘deep fake’ phenomenon.
So, lying and deception have reached new and frightening levels. It's important that young people, from early childhood, are taught to think for themselves about balance, and the pros and cons of deception – from Santa Claus to ChatGPT – and beyond...
