"What is the Value of Truth?" by Arabella B.

 

“Live by the harmless untruths that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.” -- Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle

It is a common misconception that the truth can bring peace. We see this idea everywhere. From movies about orphans desperately trying to fnd their parents to television dramas about families attempting to fnd their missing loved ones, it seems as though the search for truth is inescapable. But at the end of the day, the orphan fnds that their parents didn’t want them and the family discovers that their loved one isn’t coming home any time soon. It really makes you wonder-- what is truth truly worth? And will it ever be enough?

If you think about it, we lie all the time. And for diferent reasons. We lie to be kind. We choose not to tell whoever cooked the chicken at the potluck that their meal is actually bland and tasteless. Instead, we lie to their faces. When asked how the food is, we say,”It’s so good, you did such a good job!” and proceed to place our plates in the trash upside down. We lie to be brave. We tell ourselves that The Conjuring isn’t actually that scary, despite the fact that we refuse to sleep with the lights of for the next week after watching it. We lie to be happy. We pretend that we have all the time in the world with our loved ones, as if human beings aren’t constantly one heartbeat away from never seeing the next day.

If the truth were enough, then we’d have more honest people in the world. No one would need to lie for their own or others’ sake. There would be politicians who do what they say they’re going to do. We wouldn’t respond with the automatic,”Good,” when asked how our day was. The search for truth and the act of telling it would be enough to satisfy society. However, this isn't the case.

In reality, the truth is never enough. It leaves behind gaps that we must rush to fll with comforting falsities. No one really wants to know how your day was, it’s just a polite gesture. And we all know that one politician is spouting nonsensical lies about the economy to comfort their constituents. Because the fact of the matter is, the truth can only get us so far. If we want to feel fulflled, if we wish to be satisfed and content-- we must be dishonest.

Dishonesty is kindness. It is kindness to yourself and to society. After all, it is better to pretend that your circumstances are better than they are than to face the disappointing mess that reality is. The truth is ugly, and I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to hear it. You’re not any richer for knowing the truth. And if you are, great! But the majority of society isn’t and won’t ever be. By telling yourself and others harmless untruths to make life a little easier, you are being merciful. Reality is unkind and unpleasant. Do what needs to be done to make you brave, kind, healthy, and happy.