"Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story."
Lies. What are lies?
Are they simply tall tales? Like in the song by Gaelic Storm in the video below?
Or are they just the attempts to get out of trouble? You know. Like when you were a little kid. Mom goes into the restroom and notices someone has used the last of the toilet paper and calls out, "Who used the last of the toilet paper?" Your heartbeat races as you remember pulling off the last few squares--just enough to do the job--but then you totally forgot to put on a new roll, so you call out, "Not me."
Or are they just the attempts to get out of trouble? You know. Like when you were a little kid. Mom goes into the restroom and notices someone has used the last of the toilet paper and calls out, "Who used the last of the toilet paper?" Your heartbeat races as you remember pulling off the last few squares--just enough to do the job--but then you totally forgot to put on a new roll, so you call out, "Not me."
Are they the little social "white" lies people tell each other all the time? Like when the quirky girl at the office decides to go really bizarre with her hairstyle and has all her purple hair cut off and her head bicked, so you say, "Wow, looks great." even though you think she looks absolutely ridiculous and can hardly stop yourself from laughing everytime you look at her. At least until you realize some guys think a girl with a bald head is sexy.
Are lies a social lubricant that smooth our interactions, or are they slowly tearing away at another social lubricant--trust? As a very little girl, I was an almost compulsive liar, and it took many years of being completely honest to gain my parents' trust. As a result, I'm ruthlessly honest now. Or silent if I can't think of a creative way to get around awkward social moments.
Do your characters lie? What do you think is a good reason for people to lie? Or do you think there never is a good reason to lie?
