You can't handle the truth

Truth, in all truth, is a complex thing. That’s because truth may be absolute, its perception to different individuals is not. And individuals don't deal with truth, they deal with perceptions of the truth. The same coffee may be bitter for some and sweet for others. Let me get straight to the point.

In the movie "An Ideal husband", the wife throws this really huge tantrum because her husband didn’t tell her about this ugly financial deal that he did. He however at that point was a poor guy and it was not his scheme to swindle other people's money. He innocently participated in it. However, at present, he is a very honourable senator who is trying hard to get the right policies etc out. Just knowing what he is and I would expect the wife to pardon him. But even if we discount that, whats more important is , the guy didnt tell the wife because he was afraid. Afraid of what?? Of losing her. Which means he cares for her. He lies because he loves her. But the girl just screams, shouts, puts up a huge tantrum and then leaves the house and him. Her biggest problem is not that he swindled that money…but that he lied to her! BIG DEAL!! Woman…get a life!!

That’s just one of the aspects of this truth problem. Consider this one… In the movie Spiderman, Peter Parker knew that Harry Osborne’s father was Green Goblin. Harry however was not aware of the same. For him the truth was that Spiderman killed his father. There was no explanation that Spiderman offered wrt this act. And why didn’t he offer the explanation?because Mr. Osborne told Spiderman not to reveal to Harry what his father was? Woh! The guy gets honour into this. Dying man’s last wish must be respected. But the dumb guy doesn’t realize that without offering the truth, Spiderman actually drove Harry Osborne to become the next Green Goblin. Harry Osborne should have been shown the truth. He should have been offered an explanation but a dead man’s wish caused the creation of another…dead man!

Now try this. In the movie “Company”, Ajay Devgun is implored by the guy he is about to murder to let his brother live. He grants the wish to the dying man and then kills the brother nevertheless. “Agar wasim thoda khush marta hai to mera kya jaata hai” The lie was important for the dying man, the truth was important for Devgun and strangely for the both of them, both persisted!

Truth, people, is not the most honourable thing. It is generally the most convenient. There is a burden associated with the truth and you ought to know who can take that burden. For some your burden might be extra baggage – which they leave behind because they have no use for it. For others, it may break their back!

Its really about being able to judge, the merit of the lie or the truth, both for the speaker and the listener!
And then ofcourse as the wise say - "Never tell a lie, Never volunteer a truth!"