Lying: a way of life
Two monkeys walk into a bar, both equipped with twin-barrel shotguns and the ability to shoot bullets out of their flaming fists… See what just happened? This is called lying.
Monkeys aren’t allowed into bars, nor do they have the ability to purchase firearms or shoot bullets out of non-existent flaming fists.
Though lying is a common occurrence among our society today, for the sake of a joke or to avoid offending our girlfriends, it has also become a matter of survival in our competitive, animalistic world.
This archived article was written by: Henry Rudolph
Two monkeys walk into a bar, both equipped with twin-barrel shotguns and the ability to shoot bullets out of their flaming fists… See what just happened? This is called lying.
Monkeys aren’t allowed into bars, nor do they have the ability to purchase firearms or shoot bullets out of non-existent flaming fists.
Though lying is a common occurrence among our society today, for the sake of a joke or to avoid offending our girlfriends, it has also become a matter of survival in our competitive, animalistic world.
Before dismissing this as the banter of an angry college student, understand there is a method for the madness expressed here.
How often have fellow students lied to a professor in order to turn in an assignment late? How often does a fellow co-worker slander another in order to achieve a higher prestige, or consideration for promotion, reward, recognition or funding?
As high school students, we ignored these happenings by calling it “high school drama.” We are desperately hoping to escape the backbiting, two-faced encounters, and for lack of a better word, drama in this world after receiving that document saying you are of average intelligence (a high school diploma).
However, the incidents do not evaporate, nor do they decrease. They instead become what we now refer to as politics.
Not politics in the sense of health care, capitalism or any other governmental concern, but in the simple sense that in order to get anywhere in life, one must “play the games.”
In order for someone to be cast in a play, they must become friends with the director/producer and brown nose, regardless of talent.
In order for a program to receive funding, they must develop connections with the authorities that dictate where the funding goes.
In order for one to receive a promotion in a job, it may very well come down to who buys the drinks this weekend.
It is life.
Though we complain and dislike it, we know deep inside, that there isn’t a way to escape it. For instance, in our economy there is a better chance for someone to get a job if they have a connection in the company, rather than cracking open the classifieds and having an immaculate resume.
As this is so common, we hardly think of it as politics or playing the game, but it is. To simplify, life is high school, exactly the same, excluding brick walls and mandatory physical education classes.
So, to all of the readers that are great politicians I salute you. To all of the people who are not I sympathize. Those of us that are elitist and feel we are too enlightened to play into the hypocrisy, unfortunately, have some serious struggle ahead of us. Hopefully we are of the small numbers of people that are exceptional in whatever it is we wish to pursue. Otherwise, we better invest in some chap stick for the butt kissing we will need to do in order to survive.
