f all the post-pandemic shifts, the big one
may be our attitude to lying. Pre-pandemic we
were pretty clear on the lying rules. Everyone
accepted that there will be a few lies here
and there – but we never condoned lying or
liked being lied to, especially not by those in
whom we placed our trust. And now there’s
a general feeling that this is a fairly regular
occurrence. During a Q&A with Mumsnet last
week, the first question put to Boris Johnson,
one that summed up “the mood on Mumsnet”, was, “Why
should we believe anything you say when it’s been proven
you’re a habitual liar?” Johnson didn’t flinch, answered that
he didn’t agree with “the conclusion nor the premise of the
question” and on the subject of integrity and trust signed
off with, “But you’ve got to look at the record of what
I deliver.” Did he say, “How dare you call me a liar?”
No, he did not. These days, he doesn’t have to.
Lying has become an accepted fact of modern life,
like NHS waiting lists. It’s no longer surprising to discover
someone has lied about something, whether it’s not picking
up their dog poo or fiddling their taxes. And now we’re
adjusting to another giant step into the new world of
lies: being caught in a lie is not necessarily a humiliation,
or even an embarrassment. In fact, providing you refuse
to accept the lie as a lie, your truth might well prevail.Trump has stuck to his truth (the election was rigged).
So have Prince Andrew (he was not there and he did not
sweat) and Boris (the parties were not condoned by him
even if he was present).
Everywhere people are telling lies, big and small, so we
are increasingly hazy as to what really counts as a lie, or
rather which lies really count. Everyone on The Apprentice,
for example, seems to fake their CVs and think nothing
of it. These days their mentors expose their fabrications
almost wearily and the contestants squirm a bit. They know
that in the new real world lying on your CV comes under
the category of smart move if you can get away with it.
We were already at the point where people feel entitled
to choose what lies matter. Now a confident modern liar
can persuade themselves that what they’re doing serves a
higher purpose: tell the school your child’s work is all their
own to get the results they need because “they’re just not
academic”. Don’t tell the government you didn’t need your
Covid grant, because you haven’t done anything wrong
apart from making a killing. It’s really just a new way of
looking at things, starting with what suits you best.
Possibly you are someone who never lies or maybe you
think we live in times where some lies must be tolerated in
order to avoid total meltdown. Either way, it pays to keep
abreast of the new rules when it comes to not telling the
truth, now more than ever – so here goes...HOW TO TELL LIES IN 2022
(Assuming you can get away with it)
O
Telling porkies has become acceptable in some circles – at least
until the truth comes out. So here is your guide to the new rules
about when to fib (and when not to). By Shane Watson
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12 The Times Magazine