Ruizhi Lin week 10 Truths and Lies
George
Harrison once said that “its easier to tell a lie than to tell the truth.”
Indeed, many
times in life, we face the option of either being honest and accepting the consequences
or twisting reality for the benefits. Many people choose the latter, gambling with
whatever they have in hopes of higher returns. The art of lying is a very
tricky game to play as it does not only require crafting a realistic picture
but also how calmly the presenter acts in front of potential questioners. One
of the most elaborate methods of getting people to believe in a lie is the “illusory
truth effect.” In a study conducted at Villanova University and Temple University, a group of college students
were at first given a list of trivia questions and were asked how confidently
they could answer the questions. For two more weeks, new lists of questions
were generated by keeping some of the original questions and replacing the others
with new questions. What the scientists found were that statements/questions
that appeared more consistently were more often accepted as true.
In the
transition between the “third and fourth” industrial revolutions, news and
ideas develop and spread faster than before. Through language, individuals that
harness ideas can quickly gain power and prominence. Meanwhile, big corporations,
especially in the media market, are constantly restructured to generate more
wealth and power through acquisitions and politics. It is important to remember
how fast lies and conspiracy theories can gain traction and how dangerous it
could possibly be to take lies to heart. It is also important to question the illustrious
truths brought in the form of media and to remember that people can be easily
mislead if exposed to misinformation repeatedly.
Comments
I am absolutely terrible at lying. Usually when I try to lie, people can instantly tell that I’m lying. I don’t know if this is good or not to be honest. Lying is like a double edged sword. Sometimes you lie to your friends for their own good. If they happen to ask you, “do you like my haircut?” and you actually don’t think that the style they chose suits them, you probably won’t reply with “nah, that haircut looks ugly.” Doing so will hurt your relationship with them, and will affect your relationships with your entire friend group. Choosing when it’s right to lie to others is crucial for our social lives.
I thought your post was really interesting. It is important to learn how to identify the truth from the lies on the Internet. The Internet has a vast source of information, and even fake information can seem to come from trustworthy sources. Misinformation can be really harmful, as seen in current misinformation regarding Covid-19. Many people are choosing not to take the vaccines because they have heard misinformation such as how the vaccines are really dangerous or that the vaccines are being used to inject people with microchips. Understanding how misinformation is being spread and taking steps to prevent this spread of misinformation is important.
I found the experiment you mentioned is very interesting. It is interesting to see the effects of lies in action. I also agree with how lies are dangerous. They can spread quickly and change people's perception on topics. This is why rumors can harm people so easy, even without evidence. People tend to believe things easily as long as many people say it, and I hope in the future, we can sort out this misinformation.
Interesting topic! Quite honestly, I’m very experienced at telling little white lies. But, when it comes to high-pressure situations like when playing lying games like Mafia or lying about something that personally gave me a lot of stress, it shows in my expression. It’s quite easy for big organizations to lie because there are so many people behind them. And you’re right, it’s very easy for lies to gain traction because of their promise or unbelievability. Anyway, controversy equals attention.
-Angel Susantin
Lies do spread quickly around when they do, these lies become in rumors and a source of gossip. Everyone has once lied before while using it as a privilege to get away from trouble or more questioning. People lie but don't just feel like accepting that they did. Usually when people lie they are trying to divert the attention from a topic they stress to not talk about. While businesses and corporations lie to improve sales claiming that they use the best quality supplies to make their products.
I really like the way you added a historical connection to this topic as it made me realize how often this happens. I am not so good at lying myself because when I lie I don't stutter and everyone knows I stutter a little when I am telling the truth. I think that this is a good thing because then otherwise I would have to live with the fear of that lie coming back to me.
Sincerely,
Mrinmayee
Lying has always been easier than telling the truth. Lying is like an easy way out of trouble or consequences. For me, I used to lie a lot when I was a kid in order to avoid getting in trouble. The misinformation effect is really useful when used to divert people to think one thing. I actually just learned this recently in psychology, and the misinformation effect can change people’s original thoughts into the one you want them to believe in. It’s a very powerful tool and we definitely see big companies and businesses use it to attract more consumers.
Sincerely,
Faith Tong
I am glad you brought u lying as your blog topic. For me lying has protected me form harm and getting in trouble. It used to be hard in the beginning, because I would feel guilty, but the more I lied the easier it was to lie. It started with the little itty bitty white lies, but now I sometimes lie about bigger things. It just all adds up, all the lies, and when you slip, even just a bit, people will know and it may hurt them. It hurts when others lie, but it hurt even more for me when I lie to those I hold very dear to me.
Lying is one of those things that can come back to haunt you. I remember lying to my parents about eating candy, but as we know, lying just builds over time to the point of no return. Sometimes lying helps you out in situations that can end up dangerous, but sometimes it could break a whole relationship.