“Live by the [harmless untruths] that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.”
I’m hesitant to say this but I think I agree with this “made up” statement. More importantly, I think most people live like that, whether they are aware of it or not. Everyone kids himself in one way or another. I know I tell myself everyday that I wont eat anything unhealthy and somehow I justify why I should eat that chocolate chip cookie. Another example would be if you were to fail a huge exam, you tell yourself that your going to be ok even though you damn well know that you may not pass the class now. So the way I see it is that the reason why people live by harmless untruths is because they would rather be living in falsehood and be happy than live in truth and be miserable. Which makes sense; I mean who wants to be miserable? You only live once.
I thought it was interesting that Vonnegut chose to define foma as harmless untruths rather than lies. I’m starting to believe that “harmless untruths” are referring to white lies. But who’s to say that white lies aren’t as bad as full blown lies and who is to draw the line between the two? When I was a kid, I believed in Santa. Why? Because my parents told me that a fat bearded man came down the chimney to give me presents on Christmas. I fully trusted and believed my parents, why would they lie to me? I never understood why I couldn’t see Santa so one Christmas Eve when I was 7 years old, I took my dads video camera and put it in the corner of the room under a pillow. When I woke up the next day, do a camera with a dead battery, I took the tape out and watched it, excited to see Santa. I was devastated to see (but mostly hear) my parents putting out the presents. That “white lie” that was Santa brought my 7 year old world crashing down. Similar to what everyone was saying in class, I know I wont ever forget that feeling when I found out that what I was told wasn’t true. I didn’t know what to call that feeling then but now I know that I felt betrayed.
When I read the texts for this class, I don’t feel that same betrayal even though I am being lied to in both situations. I just feel confused and jerked around. I read it on my own and think I have a hold on what I just read but then I come to class and realize how much I missed. This time I was prepared for the lies and thought I was ready closely but clearly not close enough. I didn’t catch half of that stuff on just the first page. Not to mention my ethical and moral views on lying are challenged every time I come to class.
I swear I leave this class more knowledgeable yet more confused everyday.
yes! it's working! your last line is truly music to my ears. and as your post demonstrates, you are already beginning to mine texts for their fruitful contradictions: the idea that harmless untruths might "in fact" be more desirable (and perhaps more morally sound) than miserable truths is fantastic. i'll definitely be pushing you toward similar articulations next class.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Alyssa that many people (including myself) live by lies- and that's totally justifiable because it makes us happier. I think the phrase, "growing up is hard" reflects human transition from childhood, in which we live in ignorant bliss, to adulthood where we learn "truths" of the world such as genocide, natural disasters and human flaws. The more knowledge that we gain, the more miserable we are able to be. At a psychology lecture I attended last year, the visiting professor explained that humans tend to focus on negative information and experiences more than positive ones. Negativity overpowers positivity in our thoughts, outlooks and decisions. So, there appears to be a sense of comfort and happiness in ignorance and in the white lies that we tell ourselves. No wonder San Lorenzo is a peaceful place.
ReplyDeleteI found the discussion about the harm of a white lie this morning to be very interesting as well. It seems that the level of harm of these white lies is very situational; holding back from telling your child that Santa isn’t real is very different from waiting to tell them the house is no longer standing. However, these white lies have a seemingly everlasting impact. I doubt that the child will ever forget about losing her house, and it seems that Alyssa won’t soon forget about exposing the truth about Santa Clause. I know that when I found out and told my best friend about Santa, I unknowingly ruined it for her as well, and it still remains a funny memory between the two of us.
ReplyDeleteThe sense of betrayal that Alyssa discusses is tied directly to the relationship we have with our betrayer. Naturally, when our family tricks us, or a friend lies to us, we are far more hurt than if a stranger told us the same thing. The level of trust we have with others controls how betrayed we will feel, and therefore also how the newfound truth will impact us. So finding out that Santa isn’t real is hugely devastating to a kid who has complete and utter trust in what their parents tell him. The lesser feeling of betrayal by an author that Alyssa is talking about probably comes from the reader-author relationship. Of course the more you trust the author, the more betrayed you feel when you find out it has been a lie. I found that I felt more betrayed at the end of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge than I did throughout Cat’s Cradle because I trusted Bierce more than I do Vonnegut. This was because of a combination of things: Vonnegut presents his story as false from the beginning while Bierce’s is more open to interpretation, and after reading Bierce’s story and feeling that betrayal, I am on guard about anything an author presents now. If this pattern keeps up, by the time we read our last book, I probably won’t be taking anything at face value.