Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-06
LIES AND THE LIARS.
THE WORST or ALL EVILS AND MOST
DIFFICULT TO CONTROL


ure to Self Deception-The Causes an In
..rcstin< study-Liars Should BE Shut
I'm In Asylums ~ the Insane Are.
There is nothing in the power OF the hui
nan being SO bad as lie. There Is moth
NO that smirches character so bad as a lie.
There is nothing that turns one SO against
himself as lie There is nothing that SO
DESTROYS the confidence of our friends as
lie. There is no compensation possible 1or
the evil of lie. 1t eats back corrosiveiy
Into yourself, and you cannot get pack
your soundness. It rarely ever even tenn
,orarily makes profit, and think IN the
,nd never
The puzzle of puzzles is why some peo-
ole lie so easily. They rarely undertake. to
be exact and yet do not recognize them
selves as liars. 1t is their first impulse TO
avoid straightforwardness and they plunge
ahead in conversation, simply trying to
get around point after point 1t Is mis-
take and a misfortune to form such hab-
it. 1t grows ON the victim, and it increases
its power In nine cases out of ten the
simple facts would be easily told, and the
telling more advantageous than either con-
,caImcnt or a falschood, but the habit has
been encouraged to misrepresent or con-
zeal and tho whole mental nature ex-
hausts it's fertility in purpose not to be
,pen and honest. When this appears in
person of good ability, mild disposition
and industry. it is lamentable
The power of lying as habit to grow Is
amazing The reason probably is that the
liar lies to himself as badly as he does to
othcrs--that is, he tries to believe he Is
truthful until he believes what he says is
true, or at least is uncertain about it,
know one or two persons with whom you
may say lying is chronic disease. They
talk ON at entire random. Their whole
life becomes romance. They may occa-
sionally touch bottom on fact, but they
10 it by accident. They do not know it.
1t is simply because facts are so many as
to get in their way. What an uncon-
scionable liar that creature is" said a
friend "She cannot tell the truth" l
am not sure but we should have a new
name for this sort of people. Tho fact is
they have lost all sense of the true and the
false, as they have of right and wrong.
Louis Stevenson novels arc no more a
piece OF intellectual manufacture than are
their everyday conversations. This is true
an occasional person in the highest ranks
Of society. l know an eminent litteratcur
who is so snarlcd up among the creatures
Of his Imagination that ho cannot tell tho
real from tho fictional. 1t is dangerous to
DC his friend, for no is liable to get you
woven into great web of his fancics and
then with all his might he believes you
arc guilty of absurditics or worse that
1,
swear to these facts with all sincerity
His life can never be restored to Il basis of
realities.
There should be hospitals for liars, or
retreats, such as we provide for the in
sane when their cases become chronic and
dangerous They become dangerous to tho
community, quito as dangerous as forgers
and shoplifters, and far worse for our own
peace and happiness. If by accident you
get one Of these people into your house
hold, you never will get the confusion rec
titled. East becomes west. Love is per-
verified into evil intent. Even facts fail to
tell the truth. Everything is wrong end
foremost Half the suicides come from
liars tongues. The worst cases should be
treated as insanity and mild cases sent to
hospital.
1t would DO an interesting study for an
analytic mind to study the causes of lying
and liars. 1t is in some cases no doubt a
matter almost wholly of heredity. Moth
ers and fathers hand down moral traits
more easily than they do intellectual. A
mother should mako it law of her life to
be sincere and undertaking. If not, she is
sure to reap a sore punishment in and
from her children. Practice a habit of
living very open hearted do not mean
prattlng facts all the while, but with no
chests locked against your beloved ones
An open heart is better than an open
mouth
l pity a really honest person who has
tumbled herself hastily into a lie. The
temptation came on suddenly, and before
she was able to be quite self masterful she
prevaricated. Now, to back out of lie is
like backing out of a slough of mud. You
get out with mire on you. But is it any
better to stay in the slough and wallow
about9 There is nothing gained, my
friend, by sticking to a falsehood simply
because you are ashamed to back out. Be
as frank as your better nature suggests
and get as quickly as possible on the line
If absolute honor.
But there are other causes for the liars
character besides heredity Society Is not
based on honor, but very largely on pre-
lenses. The good half of social intercourse
Is offset by another half of deceit and in
sincerity. This, of course is stamping it.
self on character. People cannot live lies
and not be liars. The Quakcrs felt this
social degradation and tried to correct it
Let your communication be yea, yea, nay,
nay, for whatsoever is more than this
comoth of evil The Quakers, however do
sometimes lie, and all the worse because
they have placed SO much emphasis on tho
yea, yea as better than yes, yes. But they
DO not make mistake in insisting on the
Importance of words. Social ilattery and
much of social manners are cover for lies.
There is no truth in it. Arc you social
liar?-Mary f. Spencer in St. Louis Globe
Democrat
A Live Beetle In Iron Ore.
r. T. White, who is now or has very
L., H.. Ia n