Janet CollinsLying in Our Culture
March 30th 2009 18:54
The whole issue of lying has come upon us again. The issues I am talking about comes from the jailing for at least two years of a former Judge, Marcus Einfield. Marcus Einfileld has had what some would call a pretty successful career. Enough to make it to the heights of being a QC and even being awarded an AO (Order of Australia).
Last week, Einfeld was given a three-year sentence for lying about who was driving his car when he was caught speeding. There has been all sorts of commentary both for and against the sentence. One one side, many comentators have said how his whole life was a lie. Others have also said that being a judge, he should have known the seriousness of lying under oath.
Others have come out in support saying it was clearly a case of harsh judgement because of the triviliaty of it all and because of his long awarded history.
What all this does say, no matter how you view it, is more about the culture of lying. Is lying generally more accepted now than it was decades ago. I mean, most people would think “who wouldn’t say someone else way driving the car” to get out of a driving fine?
I was talking with a friend yesterday who just couldn’t understand how her kids would lie, quite blatently, about all sorts of things. Simple things they are mostly, like have you done your homework on a call. “Yes” they might say only to come home and find they hadn’t.
In corporate life it is almost admired how people can lie on cue. It has become such an accepted part of life that we sometimes look at people who don’t “fudge” their resumes or lie to make excuses about having done something or not done something, as a bit feeble or not up to the job.
It’s something that has become quite accepted in society really. So you can see how there is so much debate about this issue – how harsh it is for a man who has had by all accounts a very honourable career – or that he just deserved it because he has lied throughout his career anyway.
In the Marcus Enfield case, he was stripped of his QC status and his AO after this whole debacle. Now he is in jail. Lying has not done him the things that he meant it to do. So how serious is lying? Is it accepted or is it not?
What these comments do highlight is the whole subject about lying. Is lying serious? Where do we draw the line when a lie is acceptable and when isn’t it? Most of all, when does a lie make you a person that can’t be trusted?
Personally, I have trouble telling lies. Not that I am a goody-too-shoes, but more because I couldn’t handle people not being able to trust me. Obviously, Marcus Einfeld has not thought this to be much of a problem for him, until now.
If nothing else, Einfeld’s sentence was a good message to send out to the population. Some would say it is way too harsh. Some others are happy that a high profile person has got their juist desserts about lying. Lying is contentious no matter how small it is. He is paying for it now.
Image credit: The Canberra Times
| 122 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
haha
Comment by Mistersmith
MRS SMITH
READ THIS
SISTERS IN CRIME
This is a subject that I have given a lot of thought to recently. This was prompted, in part, by an experience with a person interviewing me for a job. She indicated that, although she was formally required to ask for personal references, so long as the veracity could be seen to be established she would not probe too deeply into the source.
But seeing the way in which images and information are manipulated on this site, to present a fabricated picture, just contributes to my understanding that the general acceptance of falsehoods has gone beyond being excused and tolerated but is now rewarded. You are right, it is sad but true that lying is entrenched in our dealings with other people and honesty is no longer considered a quality to which we aspire but is considered a stumbling block to success.
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Such a shame that such an amazing career should come to this. So very, very stupid.
Comment by samaritan
Samaritan's Stories
For instance, my kids know that one of the worst things they can do is lie to get out of trouble (especially if they're trying to put the blame on someone else). However, there are reasons for lying that aren't so bad. For instance, my son once told me that I made the best cake in the world. (My cakes are good, but I think that was a bit of a white lie.) But it's not a bad lie, because it was done to try and make me feel good.
Immanuel Kant's said that a person should never lie - ever. To demonstrate this, he discussed a murderer at the door who was looking for a friend who was hiding in the house. He said that a person should not lie in this situation, but should tell the murderer that the friend is in the house. I think this is ridiculous. I think if telling the truth is likely to cause harm, then it is better to lie.
Samaritan
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Why on earth would you think that?
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
You are right there. There is no longer any honour about being honest.
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
I realise that it was that the lie was under oath but many of those who have applauded the sentence have commented about his whole life being a lie and those lies have made his career. I just think lies generally are just all too accepted.
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
I don't know of Immanuel Kant but I wrote a post some time ago about telling lies that mentioned some studies done on lying - including "innocent" lies.
There are certainly lies of different degrees but I think we have all just become way too casual about lies and are far too accepting of them.
My earlier post is here if you would like to take a look:
Really Long Link
Thanks for the visit.
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
When applying for jobs, Im upfront about my medical conditions. No one likes that - my family say I should lie to 'get the job'. Ok, so I lie, I get the job, then collapse having a nerve attack and they dont know what to do? Then they can sue me for not disclosing it. Nice.
Or I have a job, Im upfront about fences coming down or sick ponies and organise time off to fix it up. Im not the kind of person who can say - 'my grandmas dying' or 'I woke up this morning and my leg had fallen off below the knee so I had to hop around all day looking for it' I just do not see the point of lying. But then I get fired for being 'unreliable' when Ive always been honest, told the truth about every circumstance, and offered to make up for it. I have yet to meet a boss that appreciates it.
Im the kind of person that believes if you lie about things to your boss, then they come true so you have to make up a new lie. But maybe that would only happen to me?
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Lying certainly does force us to lie again and again but I think maybe today honesty and trust is no longer held in such high esteem and lying is very common.
Nice to have you drop in.
Janet
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Comment by The Rusty Can
Everything
I could go on about liars, but I'm afraid this will quickly deteriorate into a rant.
Good post.
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
I always think lying is far more serious than most people think it is. It might be a little different to say someones haircut looks good when you know it doesn't but if people lie about what they have or haven't done it's a very different thing.
Einfield had probably handed down some pretty harsh sentences himself but do we hear about these?
Thanks for dropping in.