Believe Me, I’m Not Gonna Lie to You!
What has become of us? The “Leader of the Free World” (among many others) peppers his remarks with these expressions:
— “You can trust me on this…”
— “Well, if you really want to know the truth…”
— “I’m not gonna lie to you…”
— “You can believe me, …”
— “To be absolutely frank…”
And it’s not just politicians. Such phrases have become part of our everyday conversation. They debase our public discourse.
So what does it mean if I don’t offer an express warranty of truthfulness? Has honesty become some kind of bonus, an add-on that costs extra? Is every sentence going to need its own Certificate of Authenticity?
Like mindless littering and spitting on the sidewalk, this “Believe me!” thing is just another societal bad habit. They make us less civilized. This particular evil corrodes the necessary presumption of truthfulness upon which public discourse relies.
Of course, a little skepticism is a healthy thing, and a wise person will weigh carefully the words of strangers. But a generalized or baseline mistrust is not healthy. The open society we enjoy requires a presumption of trust amongst peers.
Now let’s have some fun this week: Watch for great examples not only of quantity, but also variety of “Believe me!” type expressions. You’ll have a blast. Would I lie to you?
My blogs (http://www.purposeful.ca/blog)