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True lie

Truth is stale for it lacks variety

There is no difference between a lie and truth unless and until their difference is deciphered. Lie is neither transparent nor opaque but translucent. Perception decides the veracity of an utterance. Truth hibernates and sprouts whereas lie remains dynamic and gets silenced. Lie is always proactive. Truth owns a bullock cart but lie, a fleet. Lie cranes its neck while truth lies low.

We live in the midst of lies. We have started adoring and admiring them to the core. Paid lie is advertisement and sponsored one, publicity. It is flattery in felicitations, sycophancy in interactions, statistics in reports, adulteration in production, adultery in relationship, myth in theology, metaphor in literature and manifesto in electioneering. Consummate liars are perfect to the finish; glib fabricators convince opponents; incorrigible fibbers are addicted to lies; cantankerous perjurers spread the nemesis and chronic prevaricators are progressive in their perfidy.

Coloured lies

Lie has colours. A black lie is a statement made after knowing its falsehood. A white lie is not in itself false but leaves out a significant part of truth. Coloured lie adds falsehood to facts and concocts truth. White lies are accepted in relationships with a view to eschewing embarrassments. In fact, all our relationships are sustained and maintained by white lies.

Lie can be vegetarian or violent. Vegetarian lies are harmless, intended to avert adversity. Violent lies could be cannibalistic, consuming the opponent. We have fibs, which can mesmerise and make megalomaniacs out of simpletons.

People like lies as truth hurts. That is why Socrates was poisoned, Galileo ostracised and Bruno trampled. We drape garlands around lies and place wreaths on truth. It requires tremendous courage to face the truth. It is unfortunate that burden of proof is always on truth. Reality is saddled with burden and mendacity sprints sans onus. Truth is stale for it lacks variety. Lies range from slander to scandal, gossip to rumour, fiction to fabrication and deceit to fraud. Truth is simple for it does not require both memory and maintenance. It is effortless and uncomplicated. Tagore said, "Truth disclosed with a bad intention is also a lie". Thiruvalluvar commented, "Lie told with good intention is also truth". However, it should be rarely used. Lord Hervey concurred, "Whoever would lie usefully should lie seldom". William James clarified, "There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it". Truth is what it actually is and fact is what we perceive. Truth is accurate and fact is precise. Hence, there is always a gap between reality and perception.

People are comfortable with lies. They give evanescent solace and ephemeral relief. As life has become a transit camp, we, as refugees, are satisfied with temporary relief rather than permanent rehabilitation. Stamina to tread further on the path of liberation is lost in extravaganzas.

Truth is not bitter but certainly it is not sugar-coated. It walks naked without ornamentation, as its anatomy itself is divine and beautiful. Ugliness alone requires cosmetics and decorations to portray sophistication and pretend innocence. Still, it discloses more vulgarity than symmetry.

Lie lived is hypocrisy. Oscar Wilde remarked, "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation". Negating the true self and aping others has become the order of the day. Cultured behaviour is to utter polished lies to please others and onlookers are also aware of them. Mutual stroking till the back is broken is considered modern outlook and model behaviour.

True lie is not just an oxymoron. Benjamin Jowett declared, "The lie in the soul is a true lie". Difficulty lies in the fact that after several repetitions the protagonists themselves construe them as truth. Buddha cautioned that a lie could not become truth even if it was vouched by thousands of people.

The irony is that even liars are hopeful that truth would triumph someday or other.

V. IRAI ANBU

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