photo credit: Datura Böes
I'm reading Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. This well-known author examines many common occurrences which we may not have thought about -- or even considered as being a "thing". The first book of his which I read was The Tipping Point. In it he looks at examples of thoughts about certain things spreading across our country and the world. For instance, he examined the near demise and resurgence of Hushpuppy shoes. They were on the verge of bankruptcy and then suddenly became all the rage after Greenwich Village people began searching for them in thrift shops and they became trendy. In his latest writing, which I am currently reading, he examines why we are unable to tell when someone is lying. We are given a number of stories to illustrate the points. Hitler was believed by Neville Chamberlain when they met and Hitler promised to not invade Czechoslovakia, yet Winston Churchill (who had not met Adolf in person) was certain that he was a liar and was going to do so. One of the conclusions reached is that people have a "truth default" which we resort to most of the time. Even in the face of obvious lies and manipulation, we will believe we are being told the truth because, from a survival standpoint, we do not need to identify lies as much as we need to be able to have efficient communication and trust in social encounters! This book is fascinating on many levels and it is part of my 2021 study goal, searching to understand why it is so terribly difficult to differentiate truth from lies. Please let me know if you have any reading suggestions for me!
"To be immortal, we must forsake the mortal sense of things, turn from the lie of false belief to Truth, and gather the facts of being from the divine Mind. " Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 370:2
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