The Poem The Truth about Lying by Jack Willer - Book Report/Review Example

To begin with, the issue of lying throughout the social life of a human being was many times argued or identified in the light of some philosophical treatment. Ethical prerequisites of lying normally state that lying is wrong in any way. However, when delving more into the problem, it turns out that people lie every now and then either for their benefit or for doing harm. In this case the poem The Truth about Lying by Jack Willer is taken to mark up the artistic thought by the author in its relation to the criticism stated by Tim C. Mazur in the article called Lying. Thus, lying is definitely ethically wrong, but it can be said right depending on a concrete situation and the philosophical treatment people choose to explain it. First off, Jack Willer introduces the wholeness of lying among people in a few words that he highlights throughout the poem. By and large, he confesses in that he is a liar like everyone telling no “big lies” normally (Willer 81). The question is that the author deeply speculates on where the truth about lies is. Nevertheless, this question remains unanswered in the poem, thus, letting readers make their own suggestions on that case. When Willer says “Most of my lies are intended to soothe, or make someone happy,” everyone gets to know himself/herself better (Willer 81). It means that people choose to lie in order to keep their inner worlds and their perceptions of people and things around firm. That is to say, Willer intends to make readers believe in the fragile nature of people’s souls aimed at hearing or seeing something pleasant due to the aesthetic sensitivity in everyone. However, Willer is witty enough to lay emphasis on and separate lies from dreams for the sake of truth, thereafter. Thus, he remarks that telling “myself that everything is fine” and even that “God is in the heavens and I am blessed” is the issue which a man believes in. In fact, people are all the same throughout the historical development of the society and human thought as well. The poem by Willer is a remarkable justification of where the pitfall of fallacies is. Lying “with ease and regularity” is up to everyone around despite of objections coming simultaneously. As far as might be seen, those who cannot even confess that they are liars fall short of telling the truth. In other words, they are the biggest liars in the world. However, those who are constantly trying to point out the exact nature of lying and the ethical assumptions thereof are likely to be close to getting the truth right. Jack Willer just reminds readers that this talk is everlasting and dealing with white lies leads to worse lies that spring up eventually. This cycle is also never-ending. People generate the flow of lies thinking they can shift everyone’s expectations for better. In this vein, Willer asks a partially rhetoric question, namely: “Am I able to ever speak the truth” (Willer 81)? Given that, it becomes vital for everyone making it not a conundrum anymore and willing to get rid of some ethical concerns haunting people down every single day. To say more, the fight between a man and his/her consciousness is constantly growing. One can assume it as a way toward humane and morale. However, it is better to say that the poem by Willer generates the deepest feeling in an honorable man able to state all pros and cons in his character. A simple re-evaluation of such an elementary truth of lying gives one a powerful drive to the right decision-making afterwards. Probably, some of the readers were able to pinpoint their personalities throughout the poem or make it pretty close to their understanding of where the error happened once. Nevertheless, the life goes on, and the open-minded people are the ones to get Willer’s message quite seriously. The article Lying by Tim C. Mazur constitutes the same issue raised by Jack Willer, but from the philosophical point of view. His comment on the issue starts from the obvious. Taking a host of examples on how people lie to benefit or do harm to someone, he reassures readers in different passages for and against lying in terms of the ethical perspective. The author of the article claims that the concept of lying can be measured through the three different philosophical thoughts: Kantian, Virtue ethics, and Utilitarianism. It is vital to state at once that each theoretical approach has different extent of rigor regarding that lying is ethically wrong. One of the reasons why lying is wrong is that it corrupts “human ability to make free, rational choices” (Mazur 1). However, if it serves for good intentions, like in the case when doctor assures the patient in a chance of long-term recovery when the fatality is evident already, it benefits to the ethical consistency. Insofar, the need for lying emerges in every human unintentionally in everyday life and intentionally for the sake of some personal benefits which may cause less trust and more blame on the part of other people. Given that, the extent to which the lies are definitely wrong contradicts to the extent when lies are really helpful. To measure it, one should be sensitive and empathetic to the feelings of people around in sum with his/her subjective vision of the reality. In other words, Mazur claims to reconsider the universal opinion on the “bad side” of lies and its healing or rationally correct effect as well. Frankly speaking, just an assumption on the many-faceted nature of lies was not enough for the author who tries to re-establish a sound-minded vision of this concept through the philosophical observation, so to speak. In this respect the truth of lying can be reached through the personal sincere realization of and confession in what one is about to achieve by means of lying. To make it plain, personal goals lead people to the possibility of lying under some definite circumstances and in order to keep oneself in safety from doing harm to anybody or to oneself, to be precise. On the basis of reason, lying is wrong as it “opposes the virtue of honesty” (Mazur 1). On the other side, it is right as it makes people happy, even though it lasts for a while. Willer points out that when a person is in bed with someone asking him/her whether he/she loves him/her “I say yes” (81). It is so easy to understand that the line between the poem and the article is straight-forward, as it makes me sure that I am a liar and always seek to lie in the pursuit of happiness and selfish goals. As for me, I have realized different situations when I am likely to lie. In this respect the utilitarian theory is far from my understanding of white lies. Conversely, the Kantian categorical imperative “do as you would be done by” goes first for my personal recovery as a liar. To conclude, the paper has illustrated that the problem of lying is a universal one. Jack Willer and Tim C. Mazur have identified sticking points in why people are tempted to lie every now and then. This is why lying is definitely ethically wrong, but it can be said right depending on a concrete situation and the philosophical treatment people choose to explain it. All in all, a witty person should evaluate the situation in detail so as to see whether or not the lies would benefit to the overall happiness of the society on the whole. The change starts from an ordinary man mirrored on the identities of others. Works Cited Mazur, Tim C. "Lying." Santa Clara University. 6 September 2011 . Willer, Jack. "The Truth About Lying." Willer, Jack. Divina Is Divina. Fort Lee, NJ: Cavankerry Press, 2010. 81. Read More