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On a sweet and simple trip to duane reade, my doorman stopped to tell me that my sunglasses made me look like lady gaga. I immediately stopped in my track, threw the glasses at his head, jumped behind the desk and slapped him. OK, not quite. But that’s what i wanted to do. Growing up i was always taught that if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it. Yet in this day and age, i think it’s the opposite.
We all lie, minimize, exaggerate and avoid confrontation to spare or protect peoples feelings. Stephanie Ericsson once wrote that the bald face lie doesn’t toy with perceptions- it argues with them. It doesn’t try to refashion reality, it tries to refute it. So are lies told to protect people rather than hurt people? Does dishonesty ever come in handy, or is it prevention of moving forward in life? Unless its a tabloid on Brangelina, Elle, Vogue or the latest Cosmopolitan magazine, your probably very unlikely to spot me reading. Excluding English assignments and sparknotes.
Stephanie Ericsson was indeed an English assignment. I am constantly wondering why people lie. After living in Manhattan for over a year, and meeting multiple promoters who all claim to be attending NYU, i have learnt that lying is second nature. Unless your a pro con artist or Sherlock Holmes, the truth will always (somehow) emerge. Once that happens you pretty much have a new fashion statement, of the word liar stapled to the front of your head.
They always say that a tiger can not change it’s stripes, or a leopard can not change it’s spots. So can a liar change his or her habits? I once met a guy that was so critical of everything and so brutally honest…that he had to come up with a lie, to defend himself. He told me (and no this is not a joke) that the reason he was so honest, was because the left side of his brain was overactive.
Confusing? yes. Gullible? no.
