On the Evaluation of Lies
If a lie is true, it has value.
When people say that lies have value, they are likely referring to the most convincing lies. Even when it seems like we can distinguish truth from falsehood clearly, it's impossible to make an exact distinction between the two. There is a fable that goes like this:
One day, a king disguised as a beggar met a real beggar who had fallen ill during his rounds.
"Hey, buddy, how are you doing?" the king asked the beggar.
"I'm living the good life. Life as a beggar is the best it's ever been," the beggar replied.
Puzzled by his response, the king asked again, "But I'm in a much worse position than you. How can you be so content?"
"Well, I used to beg for a living, but I stopped doing that now," the beggar explained.
"What do beggars like us do for money if we don't beg?"
"That's why I'm saying, you should try going without food for four days. You'll be surprised at how happy you can be."
Both the king and the beggar were lying, but whose lie was more convincing? The beggar died the next day, and the king returned to the palace, lost in thought.
(The rest of the story is omitted.)
If this story seems difficult to understand, consider the following convincing lies:
"The truth never changes."
- Who dares to challenge the truth? The philosophers laughs.
"All roads lead to Rome."
- Not just Rome. All roads lead to Seoul, too.
"Books are the food of the soul."
- This is a false statement disguised as a metaphor. It drives people insane.
"Learning is a lifelong journey."
- This is a representative and cunning lie. It must be corrected by saying, "Learning doesn't last forever."
"When I say I love you, it means I'm happy."
- This is a perfect lie. The love you speak of is jealousy, desire, and ego.
"Well, that's not true."
- The moment you hear this phrase, the other person replaces your story with a lie.
Everyone tells lies, but at least they do not live a false life, because every moment of existing life is real.
