How Can I Tell If You're Lying?

Would the world be a better place if people always told the truth?

I would assume so, but it would be such a different world. For example, we would be under no illusions as to what people truly thought of us. And that, I'm sure, would be very eye-opening.

So, how can you tell if someone you know is lying to you? Or even exaggerating one aspect of a situation in order to encourage you to think in a particular way? I would call that a 'half-truth' - and these are the things which make it all the more difficult to work out what is fact and what is fiction...

Reading up on the topic lately, I discover that science has presented us with a whole host of ways to tell if someone is being honest with you. A myriad number of verbal and non-verbal cues that are said to be dead giveaways, based on research and practice. Whether they work in all circumstances - or indeed at all - I'll leave up to your own studies...

Apparently, you can tell if someone is telling a lie if:

• Their story lacks something - a fabricated story will be incomplete or merely strung together - for example, it may have 'too much middle and not enough beginning and end'... liars will also tend to use sentence fragments while speaking, while truth-tellers tend to speak in complete sentences. 
• They make overuse of eye contact - they used to say that liars won't look you straight in the eye. They say the opposite now. According to psychologists, liars tend to maintain more deliberate eye contact than those telling the truth. They are aware of the old saying, and try to 'bluff it out'. Additionally, a recent piece of research revealed that a liar's eyes will blink more slowly when they’re telling a lie, and then the blinking speed will increase up to eight times faster than normal after the lie has been told. Not sure if that's true - you'll keep a sharp eye out for this!
• Their body language often gives them away - someone who is lying to you may breathe more heavily as they speak. Their bodily functions are still reacting, and would affect their heart rate and blood flow. You may also need to watch their hands - a speaker may cover certain “vulnerable” body parts when they are lying. Or maybe they are just nervous...
• You can histen for the excuse - liars tend to rely on negative outside forces as excuses ("I’m late again today because of the traffic"), whereas truth-tellers are less likely to do so. 
• You hear the 'bells' - Follow your instincts! Have you got a little 'warning bell' going off in your head? Trust it. Often our instincts for determining whether someone is lying or telling the truth are fairly strong. God gives some of us pretty good means of picking up 'non-verbal cues' which can guide us well...

Why have I blogged about this today? I've got a couple of situations in my life at the moment where I'm increasingly convinced that the person or people concerned simply aren't telling me the full story. I'm not comfortable. The warning bells are going off - however I'm not sure if this is total 'spin' or just the embellished truth.

Lord, please give me discernment.

G is for Gossip

We might think we're just passing on the news from the local 'grapevine'. Are you sure about that? Often it is just gossip. Plain and simple. Unsubstantiated and often derogatory in nature, it can be so destructive.

There's plenty of verses about gossip in the Bible. Stuff about learning to tame your tongue. Here's another good one... can you be really sure that it's the whole truth? You could be someone else's lies with every word...

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness."
Exodus 23:1 (ESV)

Plus of course, it's often seen merely as a way to waste a bit of time and have some fun into the bargain. Except of course, for the nice bit of vicious character assassination that you are engaging in...

Yet we hear that some of you are living in laziness, refusing to work, and wasting your time in gossiping. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we appeal to such people—we command them—to quiet down, get to work, and earn their own living.
2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 (TLB)

Fake It Until You Make It

Do you know that phrase? Have you ever heard it? Is it true for you?

I hear it a lot in the City of London. I see it a lot, too. Some say that it's all to do with confidence, a form of therapy to assist you in getting on in life. Act like you belong - or like you have some ability that you don’t - and eventually you will figure it out, the doors will open.  An example of a positive feedback loop.

But isn't it all about being someone that you are not? Putting on a mask, trying to project an image of someone who you want to become, but aren't ... yet. Are you lying to the world - or lying to yourself?

I don't want to be 'fake'. I want to be myself - whole, complete, the person I am intended to be by God. Which is not necessarily who I want to be - it's who God wants me to be. Listen to this:

Galatians 6:3 (NIV)
If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

I don't want to be 'fake'. I want to embrace who my Father in Heaven has made me to be. To be true to myself.

And so, that's more to do with 'faith' than being 'fake'.

It's about trusting God when things aren't going the way you want them to - not covering up and pretending that all is well.

And that's when it comes down to you and God.

If God has called you to do something, you need to be faithful in that. Be faithful in the small things that are open to you.  Trust Him. Give Him everything that you've got and eventually you will make it to the next level; a door will open.

Maintaining Privacy

"A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation." - Saki

This blog entry was inspired by a Bible Study session that the Corps offered recently on integrity. And the questions that buzzed around in my head afterwards were simple: should I lie to protect my own privacy? Surely everyone needs the right to privacy?

This has struck a chord with me personally. Yes, I've been teased, even ridiculed, for a couple of the things I have done in recent years. You know, things that were important to me. Friends and colleagues actually called me foolish; family members belittled me for taking a stand; failed to back me up when I stood up to be counted. I've even blogged about it before, here...

So, I must admit, that's why I avoid the criticism. If it's tricky, I don't tell them. Is that telling a lie? I'm simply carrying on doing what I think is right. And if I do deceive, am I doing it for the right reasons - simply trying to protect myself and my family?

So, where do I go from here? OK. I'm told I shouldn't lie - it's far more preferable to simply tell people "I don't want to tell you" when they ask. Or words to that effect. Perhaps I need to start going more public with it, open up, and hang the consequences...

Mmmm ... not sure how that one will go down ...

Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message)
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Leviticus 19:11 (NIV)
Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.

The Wrong End Of The Stick

I am, when all is said and done, a seeker after truth. This does mean I tend to challenge things more often than most people. I tend not to take information on face value. I take time to check my facts.

I know quite a number of people who tend to believe everything they are told. I guess I understand that - you'd want to trust people; to believe people are being fair to you. Unfortunately, sometimes what you are told - is wrong. Sometimes people lead others astray deliberately - a spoof, a prank (Facebook seems to be full of these this week!). Alternatively, they may be simply relaying information without checking further...

However, it's staggering to see just how many people there are who quickly grab 'the wrong end of the stick' - hearing one small piece of information and leaping quickly to an erroneous conclusion. Assuming that something or other is going to happen, based on minimal facts - or even just on hearsay.

I think you've guessed. Something happened in my life recently that prompted this blog. It made me so angry.

Then I calmed down. I went away and checked my facts, just to make sure. And then took a week or so to write this down, choosing my words carefully.

John 7:24 (CEV)
Don’t judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word...

I have been reflecting for a day or two on a comment someone made recently - that I think just a little too much.

People say I take things (sarcasm, criticism) too much to heart because I tend to dwell on it. Interesting, really, because I always thought that the fact that I dwell on things and try not to react immediately is a strength... I tend to think things through before giving a definitive answer. If you ask me for a quick answer, you will usually get one - but I guarantee that it won't necessarily be the best answer! No, I tend to stall for time... time to think. It's how I operate best.

However, on deeper reflection this is not the image I am portraying. You see, people seem to take note of the first thing that I say; the 'knee-jerk' reaction that they get. My usual standby answer is more often than not an apology. Sorry that I can't do that for you. Sorry that you are upset about that. Sorry this; Sorry that. You may even be sorry for saying sorry!  

Why? I even end up throwing out apologies in situations where it's later revealed that I'm actually in the right! Is this learned behaviour from deep within, telling me to apologise? If so, I guess that sort of instant reaction isn't serving me too well any more...

Folks that are cleverer than I tell me that it's all to do with the plasticity in the brain - how the brain fires. Negative thinking embedded from a couple of particularly nasty experiences in earlier life may be triggering self-deprecating thoughts in me. Telling me "I'm a failure." The fallback position is one of self-defence. Yes, even when I'm in the right!

If this is true, I need to unlearn this. Or, at least, I need to answer differently. Break the habit of the 'knee-jerk' reaction. I've already started to see things as they truly are, not as I have previously perceived them to be. Or, even, how others tell me they should be.

I'm told you can interrupt and (over time) alter these sort of behaviour. I'm looking at this right now. And I believe that, with my Lord's help, I will ultimately become free of it. 

Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Integrity: How Honest Should I Be?

I've blogged quite a bit here in the past about integrity, and following a discussion on the same subject in Bible Study earlier this week, feel challenged to get some further thoughts down in writing.

Now, I've always tried to be as honest as I can be in this blog, but bearing in mind that this is a public forum I have always held back from commenting about things that are a bit too close to home. Really personal stuff, about my family, my work. It's a shame I feel I can't share because that sometimes eats away at me. You can understand that, can't you?

It's funny what the act of writing this blog has taught me. It's revealed and established a strength that I had buried deep within me. Talk to me face to face and I stumble, get tongue-tied. Sit me next to a keyboard and I can write 'till the cows come home - I can emote, compose and rejoice with ease about a variety of topics that interest me.

However, there's a limit. If it's stuff that hurts me, is just a little too personal, or that I find difficult to share, it probably won't get mentioned. It's simply too close to home. Or if I do mention it, it's so heavily encoded that it makes little sense to anyone (except to me and my Lord!). There's an example here.

Anyway, this rambling blog entry eventually leads us to a question, and it's a simple one to ask. I understand that you need to possess integrity, therefore not lie to others. Sure - but what about 'not telling the whole truth'... (Caution: here I'm going to open up a little, be warned. Can't do this face to face, but as it's only you and me, dear reader, that's OK)

It might be something simple, like saying "I'm fine" when people ask how you are. When you are really... not...

It might be something more complex, like remembering the negative reaction you got from people at work when you told them last time all the things you got up to at the weekend - so, you don't stop doing it, but you stop telling them about it...

Even worse, it might be one of those days when you've gone from one voluntary commitment to another without a break; gone without a rest because you want to ensure a particular job gets done. Because without you, it won't get done!

Or when you go out of your way to help out a friend - even though you can't really spare the time. Is that OK?

I think it is - it's going the extra mile (see post here). Because if I told the truth - the whole truth - to family and friends they would try to stop me.

Is that integrity?

Telling The Truth

Why is there such a broad gap in some people's lives between 'telling the truth' and admitting that you've told a lie? I've encountered this in my life in recent weeks and even though I have studied this topic in some detail before, there's seems to be so much more that the Lord wants to show me on the subject!! Because this one doesn't want to go away at the moment...

There seems to be an awful reluctance in people's lives to tell a downright lie. Something ingrained from childhood, perhaps... However, bending the truth - exaggerating one aspect, omitting another - seems to be more acceptable. Half-truths, they call them. Sounds better than lies, doesn't it? And seems to be quite commonplace, it would seem. The challenge is, of course, to do better. To maintain a degree of integrity in your own life. 

It can be tough. I remember times in my life when I was even encouraged to lie, by my elders and betters. I'm ashamed to even recall it. Nowadays I have a very well developed conscience that keeps me awake at night for the slightest mishap or misdemenour that I have let slip in a moment of weakness. I do better - but I'm not there yet.

However, as I always say, "no good deed goes unpunished". There are times when I lose sleep when I have told the truth, when I know that I have done the right thing. I'm up and about, questioning my own motives. My friends and family may even put doubts in my mind. (sigh)

The Lord reminded me today (again!) that we battle against a foe who deals in lies and half-truths. And that this foe is someone who just loves to regroup and attack you again on another front. Yep, I can testify to that. Even that day last week when I spent in bed feeling ill - I ended up feeling guilty for the work that I was missing back at the office! How weird is that?

I'm encouraged today in my studies to keep 'seeking after truth' - something that I always try to do - but to go that little bit further. Just because what you read something that contains a little bit of truth, doesn't mean that the whole thing is true... it might only be a 'half-truth'. Keep searching - keep testing - keep growing.

Guilty!

The accusation is clear and concise. It hits you square between the eyes. They present you with tangible facts to back it up. Caught bang to rights.

You protest. You start out as sure as sure can be that it can't be true.  But, in the light of all the evidence to the contrary, the case for any defence starts getting swept away. Strong foundations for any possible denial fail, quickly crumble to dust. Your own counsel advises you to plead guilty for a more lenient sentence. You begin to doubt your own memory; even to entertain the idea that your very thoughts are wrong;  that it must have been you all along...

You give in. Accept the consequences. There's no point in fighting it any longer. You're just too weak...

Ever had that experience? I sure hope not. It must be terrifying.

There's a particularly memorable two-parter episode of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' that comes to mind when I ponder on this sort of scenario. 'Chain of Command' includes a scene where Picard (Patrick Stewart) is taken prisoner by the Cardassians. Subjected to torture, his interrogator points four bright lights at Picard and asks him, repeatedly, to say that there are five of them (a homage to a similar scene in George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four').

Picard does escape his captors; he doesn't give in and say that there are five lights. However, he later admits privately that he would have told his interrogator anything to make the pain stop... and that, right at the end, he actually thought he could see five lights.

My mind is full of strange thoughts this evening... including incredible sadness for those who are totally innocent yet have been wrongly accused and convicted. Some may even go through life thinking they were guilty all along! I think I understand this issue a little better today. But it doesn't make me feel any better...

('Chain of Command' was written by Frank Abatemarco, who consulted with Amnesty International during his script preparation. Patrick Stewart is also an Amnesty supporter and this comes over in his portrayal. Worth a look.) 

What Is Truth?

In John 18:38, Pilate asks the question. "Truth? What is truth?", in response to Jesus' claim that he is "witness to the truth" (John 18:37). It's a terribly good question. In fact, it's one I ask myself a lot. Particularly in my everyday life when I often find myself surrounded by:

• Lies
• Half-truths
• Myths
• Misinformation
• Opinions
• Theories
• Statistics
• Humour

In fact, so often I get anything but the truth!

However, as they say in the X-Files, "the truth is out there". It can be found. You just need to keep looking for it in the right places.

I think the trouble is that we don't see the truth very often. This is probably because some many of us can't even be truthful to ourselves.

Just FYI today.

(Picture: inscription at the entrance to Sagrada Família Basilica, Barcelona.)

Bad Dreams

Ever had one of those nights?

Last night seemed to drag on forever. Throughout the night hours I was presented with reoccurring sequences from my own life. The cast was made up of former colleagues and acquaintances of mine, people I remember fondly - but this time these people were discouraging, disrespectful, even downright rude about my personal life, about where I am today.

And then I woke up. Realising the entire thing was only a dream helped somewhat, but the experience did unease me for a while. Is that what these people really think about me? Was any of what was being said to me in my dreams really true?

I've made this a matter of prayer today. And, in the midst of the dialogue with my Lord, He reminded me that He loves me. He reminded me that we battle against a foe who deals in lies and half-truths. He reminded me of all of the victories that had been won in my life recently. And He reminded me that a retreating force often tries to regroup and attack again on another front.

The Doug Horley song we've used so often to end Sunday School in recent years is on top of my mind tonight:

WONDERFUL LORD, wonderful God,
You are my shield, my protector.
I can lie down, go off to sleep,
Knowing You’re watching over me.
Wonderful Lord, wonderful God,
Help me to trust You forever.
I need not fear, ’cause You are near,
I can lie down and sleep in peace.

Copyright © 2003 Thankyou Music

Sweet dreams, tonight...

Don't Lie To Me!

The death of Osama bin Laden apparently resulted in millions of posts on Facebook and tweets on Twitter. However, some of those included a quote attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr that, unfortunately, had never been uttered by King.

So, how do you work out what is truth and what is fiction in your inbox? Tricky. Although it's a great way of keeping in contact, there's a whole host of misinformation, myths, and urban legends out there.

So, here's some good mythbusting sites which you may wish to use:

http://www.snopes.com/

http://www.breakthechain.org/

http://www.truthorfiction.com/

...and always keep an open mind!

"The most dangerous untruths are truths moderately distorted." - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

In All Honesty: part four, Relative Truth

I mentioned about watches in part three of this brief series. Imagine how you'd feel if you'd suddenly discovered that the clock that you'd been setting your watch to for years was itself wrong? That you'd been giving out the wrong time - and worse, you honestly thought you were doing the right thing by checking back with a 'trusted' source - which was itself wrong!

If you follow me, then you can understand some of the difficulties with 'relative truth' that I've been working through for a while. It's because there's a whole host of different beliefs out there - even differences in opinion in how you follow individual beliefs. Surely, they can't all be right? No - some of these 'truths' are contradictory; some are misinformation, or 'spin'; some are simply 'best guesses'; some are opinions that might even be described as naive. Some - well, the court is out on these, no-one seems to know...

As a 'seeker after truth' I have sought help from others in order to follow the right path. Some of the paths I took as a young man I once thought were 'true' but these have clearly proven to be false. In fact, dead ends! However, I doubt whether many of the people (including my own friends and family) who advised me to take these false paths meant me any harm. Like the weatherman (see part one of this series), they're trying their best. And, the path itself may not have been wrong for all - but it was certainly wrong for me (it made me ill for a time!).

Although I make mistakes, I don't want to make the same mistake twice! And I certainly don't want to lead others astray by directing them the wrong way! I want the right way. I want to show others the right way.

I read a quote by C.S.Lewis yesterday which succinctly summed up my current situation for me:

http://cslewiswisdom.blogspot.com/2011/06/search-for-truth.html

Here's a couple more quotes that have challenged me lately. As I continue to pursue the truth, dear reader, working it out in my own way and style, please do me a favour? Let me know from time to time if it looks like I'm going off course, okay?

Proverbs 4:7 (NIV)
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

"The pursuit of truth shall set you free - even if you never catch up with it" - Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)

Statistics

In his autobiography, Mark Twain confirmed that "there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." How true.

I've been looking at the various stats that Blogger offer you regarding traffic to your site, in terms of what posts are the most popular, where people live, what browser they are using. And was very surprised at what I found.

According to this, the most popular post that I have ever written since I started this blog was a small article about the Father Dowling Mysteries, that I wrote as part of my A-Z of Detectives a year or two ago. What?

The second most popular was a light-hearted post about 'International Talk Like A Pirate Day'. How random is that?

This doesn't really add up. What was so wonderful about these particular blog entries? In order to understand this a bit better you need to factor in other things, like the fact that that first post seems to get two or three spam attempts a week via the comments tab. Anything from internet mailings in Russian script to pedicures and the obligatory sales pitch for little blue pills. Thank heavens for Blogger's very effective spam filter!

Here's a few more quotes to round this entry off:

98% of all statistics are made up. (Author Unknown)

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable. (Author Unknown)

Knowing The Truth

I'm a 'seeker after truth'. However, I'm sure you'll agree that it's not easy to identify what is true from a whole myriad of different 'facts', alternative viewpoints and opinions... it takes a bit of work. You have to sift through three other types of supposed 'truth' before you get to the real thing.

There's the 'truth' that some people truly, honestly believe - however, it's simply not the same as your world view, either because their reasoning is totally different to yours or they've arrived at it from a different perspective. Who is to say they are wrong and you are right? I love to hear their views, it helps you to strengthen (or correct) your own.

There's the 'truth' that people accept that is solely based on others; they think this way because that's just the way other people have told them to think!

And, then, of course, there is 'creative truth' - i.e., downright lies and misinformation.

I find it reasonably easy to handle the first two in the above list, but have a real problem with the third. I stumble across it in varying degrees every day. I struggle with the spin I read in the papers, the deception I hear about, the 'little white lies'. I feel betrayed when I realise that I've been lied to, often by people who I feel should know better...

Why do I feel so strongly about this? Possibly because I detest it most when I see it in myself. Yes, I hate it when I catch myself being less than truthful. I wouldn't call myself downright deceptive, there's no tangled webs of deceit in my life. I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable when I catch myself bending the facts a little to justify an action or an inaction. To protect my family. To protect my privacy. Does telling what is essentially a lie justify a particular course of action - even if I did it for the 'right reasons'?

It's nearly time for the summer holidays. Over the next few weeks I'm going to read up on honesty. I'll try and write something up about this for the Autumn. Honest.

John 8:31-32 (NIV)
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

False Advertising

Heading home today after a pretty busy day in the office, I realised that the chances of having a proper evening meal were pretty low. It was to be the launch of our Men's Fellowship tonight, and we had planned to go ten pin bowling. I'd worked through lunch, and snatched a sandwich at my desk. By the time I would arrive home, I'd have less than a hour to change, freshen up and get the car out to drive to the venue. Hence I felt peckish on the way home...

Sheepishly I eyed up the baguettes at London Bridge station and succumbed to temptation. A Cheese and Tomato baguette. Imagine the shock then to be refused service! Sorry, they had no baguettes left. Puzzled, I pointed at the pile of food on the counter, but it was no good. These were dummies; replicas in the display to make it look full. They had in fact nothing much left to sell, and I went away disappointed.

I doubt whether my lack of sustenance will make a great difference in the Great Scheme of Things, but it does confirm to me yet again that things aren't always what they seems in this world of ours. Just because you see something that looks great right there in front of you, doesn't mean to say it's isn't just for show.

I did manage to snatch a quick sandwich when I got home, and had a burger while I was out. But the baguette would have been so much nicer... probably better for me, too!

At least the Men's Fellowship went well!

Lies and Statistics - part three

My final word on this subject must of course come from The Word. Of course, you don't have to look far for biblical references to this subject. Jesus said that He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life". If Christ is Truth, then it follows that lying must mean you are moving away from Christ. Being honest is about following in God's footsteps, for He cannot lie. My goal as a Christian is to become more God-like and God-centred, then honesty needs to be a focus. And that's honesty to myself as much as to my peers.

Luke 16:10 - Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

Exodus 20:16 - You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

However, being honest is not always easy. It's so easy for man to wander off the narrow path, and kid yourself that you're still on course. Therefore, you need to work at being truthful, and it is often pretty hard work. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus all of the time.

Remember, you should strive not only to be honest to others, but honest to yourself as well. Therefore you should try to remain both humble and modest, however being too harsh on yourself is not being truthful. Also, thinking too highly of yourself is also dishonest. We need to find a balance before we can continue to grow.

Proverbs 11:3 - The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Romans 12:3 - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

(all translations NIV)

Lies and Statistics - part two

Some quotations on lying:

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time - Abraham Lincoln (attributed)

One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. The bamboozle has captured us. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back - Carl Sagan

Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said - Mark Twain

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes - Mark Twain, again (attributed)

Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive! - Sir Walter Scott

Liars when they speak the truth are not believed - Aristotle

It is always the best policy to speak the truth--unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar - Jerome K. Jerome

A lie told often enough becomes the truth - Lenin

And a further mention of statistics, which was mentioned in part one and is shown clearly in the title of this thread. Statistics can prove anything - you analyse the data to try and make it demonstrate whatever it is you're trying to prove. Thus, although containing facts of one sort or another, statistics can lie as well.

A statistician is a person who stands in a bucket of ice water, sticks their head in an oven and says "on average, I feel fine!" - K.Dunnigan

More to follow.

Lies and Statistics - part one

The heading of this entry to my blog is inspired by a phrase attributed to Benjamin Disraeli and popularised in the United States by Mark Twain: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." And as I published in my last entry, we know that some statistics might simply be made up on the spot!

One definition of a lie is an untruthful statement, with the implied intention of deceiving others. This may be to maintain a secret or a reputation. It might be in order to protect someone's feelings, or to avoid a punishment.

Some people also include those occasions where someone has stated something which they don't know for sure is true, with the intention that it be taken for the truth.

Of course, once you start to lie, you need to lie repeatedly to maintain those lies. You therefore become a liar by force of habit. Remember, like all habits, these can be broken - if you truly want to.

Since starting this article, I have discovered much debate on the Internet disputing the fact that Disraeli was the first to say the phrase that I commenced with. Which means there may already be one lie in this part of my blog already! So in an effort not to fall foul of my own definitions I'll just mention Henry Du Pré Labouchère (1831-1912), Leonard H. Courtney, 1st Baron Courtney of Penwith (1832-1918), Cornelia Augusta Hewitt Crosse (1827-1895), William Abraham Hewitt (1875-1966) and Commander Holloway Halstead Frost (1889-1935) - all of whom have also been attributed with the phrase. Whew!

I think I'm going to be reflecting quite a bit on lies this week. As you will see, lying is actually quite a commonplace thing. More later.