The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-23
WHY DO MEN LEY
Trying 70 Get the Truth About the Nat
from n Genuine Liar.

"The other day" said the man. II was look
ing through my collection Of your reports Of
my remarks. and the hope arose within my
breast that at some time you would drop In
and ask mo why men lie."
well. why do they lle2"
Possibly" said the man. "itls because
they naturally follow In the footsteps Of their
father
Which father2 You with your extensive
reading. should know that ihere is good au.
thority for believing that liars have two
fathers According to the Good Book. tho
devil Is the Father Of Lies, but. according TO
scaliger. that honor belongs 10 Herodotua"
You do not distinguish" said tho man. ITO
be the Father OF Lies il not tho same thing as
to 10 the Father Of Liars. The father was
thinking OF was each liars natural father In
the flesh. and. "a tho liars father had father
and grandfather and. In short had long
line OF ancestors every one OF whom was
liar. Is perfectly natural for the liar TO lie.
He can no moro help lying than he can. by
taking thought. adj ono cublt to his stature.
1t Is only BY remembering this great fact that
can for moment excuse you"
1t is. then. a fact? Whom saw you last
you held the opinion that tnere are no facta"
Il misspoke." said the man. Il didn't mean
to say this Grsatf fact but this great hypothe-
sis-this great felton, Whom you can perfectly
we'll account for phenomenon In several dif-
ferent ways. you can never be sure that any
particular ono OF those ways Is that in which
the phenomenon really is brought about. You.
FOR example. may lie as you do because lying
Ia part OF your Inheritance, just 40 tho size
OF your ear is So On tho other hand. you
may lie because you make money In that way.
or for some other reason. known to yourself.
perhaps. but only guessed at By NO."
never lie RbOut Won for auoh n vopk n
entirely unnecessary. As . matter OF fact.
however. do lie whenever choose to, and
that is pretty often"
30 do l." said the man. II lie to and about
my friends and my enemies. and to and about
myself especially. He ia but poor liar who
cannot lie to himself Sometimes think that
self deception Is tho first law OF nature. A man
knows what his motive for doing such or such
decd really is. and yet he can make himself
believe that it 10 something else. Finding him.
sell 80 credulous. he naturally thinks that
other people are like him. and 80 he lies to
them. Sometimes they believe his lies and
sometimes they don't When they don't. It IL
commonly because they are SO deeply absorbed
In their own lies and put SO much faith In them
that they can't believe anything olss. From
the whole mass Of lies and self receptions in
tho world zach mau selects his own wherever
ho finds tin himself or In other persons-and
then he calls It truth. Lies OF feather flock
together. Hence We have tho fine spectacle
that 10 afforded BY anarchist gatherings. spirit
ualist and theos ,phical 'oieties, and the like"
lam often Of the .ame opinion whom you
Shins; BSs my lies are are not like yours because
so do L., ns said the the mar You never do
meant that you are such a nataral-born
and carefully cultivated liar that you have lost
IL
~" Tint is a fair enough shot" snid the man:
liar. and having lost all sense OF the dlstino-
tion between lies and truth in my own think,
Whn sens r The 81
has made ny % 81 and
You are ,he most euiiibie man that ever
knew. D.n't YOU remember how Tom"
.p.aFns Of ws4dS the m WHICH, EAR. Rs
speaking Q, fancy lies and lies philosophical
common man about business afars In these
there is MOI hing delicate. nothing, high moth
1 Thsps !. none Of ihs noety ' 81 ssdee.p.oa
shs Tss1 are who spsr What We
are talking about. and should DO loft to cart
s D sI You mean los tina. such persons don't
deceive themseiye. as ven as others Z" :,
given. II Shall lie 70 himself e lis own Per:
hc sh a! kn a that he lies and vet
,s":tlss = ,car D.,s1 To- a.. How
"Wnen You have at aimed to higher knowl-
edge Of human nature. nv child. said the
s n to DO viii Sso bse may confirm ans 1S
lie. for instance: as knowledge never can do.
Its an old saving that man readily believes
It to be false. To parody Alexander Pope.
mans natural cry is:
n 1,ti ID q. , isy ; 's :;:1 ;n'.
"I, NJ. ;i issf. on .sy s::sa my heart
Not only will men believe what they know
is not 30. but they viii believe the most absurd
fas 81 'Ss!r true nave '
Well" said the man. there have been and
os %1 hav. hut thres d.mepslons. Dr.: zoiInsr..
pIslned the medium SHADES tying knot in an
endless cord By saying that piece Of leger-
domain vas accomplished IN the fourth di.
sBut zollnsr was crazy and died in . mad
aad Z r. s:$%:% +: Iss"Isas.1 =:
WILD as ether Des1ons Is 70 hsT
.hst man can b.Ii.ys what hs know; 70 .
yslid h. belief L must DO consonant with IT. not
ec..T1Tbnry TO IT, not .o" ..,d In. mno. "1t oou..
from sss ao a p me I'D tia. soaes
~ the opposite OF belief. Now. In the higher
logic. which i pursue with so much ardor. 1t is
knowledge that is beliefs onposits. In doubt
and 10 belief tho mind Is active. In knowledge
It is dormant. When a man knows q thing. all
Is said and done; and processes OF thought In
Then there Is such u thing 40 knowlsdxsr".
mind that IL, called 'knewletes:' but il does
not Iecsssa lily answer t. any objective reali:
to 50 base Thing g TO force my !ntellieence
intelligence would know mpch more than It
ever could while 1t was awako.",
II think 1t is snoring now. Why don't you
wake upl"
said the man. "nnd sufficient unto my night
are botn the evil ard the good thereof. lean
and toward ~ the paipl. q the eompas =
c,1n most thoroughly believe my lie. and enjoy
up, Tho .innsts ling snst because thsy mnss.
~ mo Hny. don't YOU know that truth Is al Inc