I was brought up to tell the truth, both of my parents, but especially my mother, being far more likely to punish us for being dishonest about anything we'd done wrong than for the actual infraction. My wife and I have taken a similar approach towards our daughter, trying to teach her the value of telling the truth. There are times, though, when I have my doubts about the value of being honest. It seems that unless the truth that you tell fits in with people's expectations and preconceptions, the outcome is, at best, ostracism. I don't want to keep harking back to the 'Yacky Box' fiasco, but it seems that the perpetrator of that particular pack of lies has ended up being far more accepted and sympathised with than both the victims of the hoax and the tellers of unpalatable truths. If you give an honest answer to an honest question, but it's not the answer the enquirer wants to hear, the only outcome is becoming persona non grata, or so it seems. Maybe I should start a new blog filled with plausible and easily digestible lies and exaggerations, and see how that fares. (I'm joking, in case anyone's concerned.)
Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B
Hi Sammy,
ReplyDeletePeople aren't born knowing that honesty is the best policy, they either have to be taught that or learn the lesson the hard way. Some people learn that later in life rather than when very young. All of us will hopefully learn at some point, though some may never.
Another thing that has to be learned is that starting off with a small lie usually snowballs into something very much larger that gets beyond control.
There are sometimes valid, understandable reasons for the initial small lie. But it can progress rapidly, uncontrollably, into something much wider, something with a life of its own, like a runaway train impossible to stop, until it crashes.
I ask that you try to keep an open mind and be receptive to the possibility there are things you do not yet understand. Young people make mistakes, we all do.
Regards,
Brian
Hello Brian
ReplyDeleteI make no claims to omniscience, and I'm all too painfully aware that people make mistakes, mine are legion. But unless I see unequivocal evidence to the contrary, I'm afraid I can't believe that 'Yacky Box' and the associated 'explanatory' post on Paul's blog were written by a young person. The 'just-so' degree of snivelling pathos in the latter post, so obviously designed to engage the sympathies of the reader (and successfully, given the way so many people rushed headlong to embrace 'Richard') was, in my opinion, too sophisticated to have come from someone of the purported age. This is, I freely admit, purely my opinion, and if I'm wrong, I'll be the first to apologise. I remember fervently wishing I was wrong about 'Yacky Box' being a fake, and saying so here, but it turned out I was right, and I'm convinced I'm right again.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B
Hi Sammy,
ReplyDeleteI just suggest you don't verbally stick your neck out so far. By doing so you could very well be hindering resolution.
Regards,
Brian
Hello Brian
ReplyDeleteI am, I'd like to think, old enough to make my own mind up about issues. I respect your opinion, and would never suggest that you shouldn't express it, but I don't think there will ever be any resolution in this case until the truth comes to the fore. That truth, in my opinion, is that 'JJ/Richard' isn't a teenager. I have my own theory about who it 'really' is, but I'm not prepared to commit that particular opinion to cyberspace at present. As I said before, if incontrovertible proof to the contrary comes to light, I'll hold my hand up and offer my unreserved apologies.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B