Not The Whole Truth

There is nothing in substitute for the truth then where do white lies fall in place? Well somewhere on the gates of the greater good where gray prevails. Speaking of gray, the de-novo colours of sweatshirts, we find there is this curious little habit of ours of not telling the whole truth.

Of course you did go outstation for that conference but well, little intelligent you did not tell that your extra day was actually not accidental. The official version of events was bad weather and the flight got delayed. Oh yes, your clandestine activities did go undetected.

This is one example and we have others like taking a whole day to shop in a sale where you bought that leather bag with a 5% discount. Yet what you tell your friends over brunch on Sunday while munching on rolls is that you were bargain hunting and things were indecently cheap, probably even cheaper than the rolls you are eating.

It seems diluting the truth either by exaggerating or over-simplifying it is something of norm. Weaving florets on monotony and obscuring rancid from the fluorescent mess is something we rather do than stray into the lanes of lies. It maybe something deemed trivial or something downright dangerous but who is do deny it wasn’t necessary. Yes, a necessary evil it was; to deglaze and shine and yet we were not lying, thank you very much.

We do it for many reasons. For obvious ones like avoiding unnecessary conversation by people who have more time than us at the present so that it sounds mundane and we can continue on real business and these people will find some other victim. Sometimes it is not to lose face and be lapped with some attention for something totally ordinary. Most of the time it is for ourselves. An individualistic desire to not to be put in a situation of being bitten by our conscience for lying. By doing this, we avoid pangs of guilt and are contented by the fact that there was a morsel of truth beneath that waffle.

Call it cheating yourself, call it suave but the best of us and the worst of us do it.