Truth, and lies...

Where's the "Virtue Vs Sin" you ask. I did not put it in because this topic is not an installment of the Virtue Vs Sin series. Its a normal, usual philosophical topic, that is all.

Today, I was having dinner with my mother when we went into a debate. (Albeit in an informal, chinese manner) She was, as usual, insisting I eat more rice when I didn't want to. When I didn't NEED to. (Need and greed was touched on my last entry... quite a couple of weeks ago. Scroll down to read) Thus, I sorta explained that concept to her in terms of practicality (Not that I'm putting down my mother, but the philosophical concepts I argued in my last entry would probably be too "chim" for her.)

I told her the reason why I'm eating less rice (and other foodstuffs of course) was because I was trying to lose weight. Her response was, as usual, "Rice don't make you fat."

Now, I couldn't stand for that, could I? I had to stand up and put my case! Espeacially when she makes such a statement. It took me some time, but I finally established the fact (not only established, but actually convinced her, which was sorta miraculous. She almost never agrees with my arguments.) that carbo-hydrates are a major make up of our fat. I had to quote examples from around the world before she was willing to consider the fact that foodstuffs like rice and potatoes gave us energy that, if we didn't need or use, would be converted into fats.

Then, in my usual style, I started to digress. That's when I (somehow or another) started talking about truth, and perception, and what it consists of, to her. And so, here we are, finally, after all those crappy, unrelated stuff above, at the real meat of my entry today.

What is truth, what are lies? Is there any such thing?

To be able to understand why I actually came into such a subject while eating, we must first understand my thought-train. I first started talking about tricks and lies cormecial circles use to promote and sell their products. Even hawkers at the market. I quoted the example of "final minute, sell cheaper" scam. Did you ever had a time when you went to the market near noon time, and everyone was packing up? The meat sellers at that time, would be pulling down prices.

"You buy from me, I'd give you extra 1 kg!"

"You want some of these? Last few, I sell cheap cheap, cost of 1kg, I give 2kg."

In fact, these things could be seen even in your secondary school homecoming day, the funfair, that is. Don't you think this is just a stupid, elaborate scam?

If the price of a good doesn't change, and the seller gives you more... is this called selling cheaper? The answer is no. What is selling cheaper then?

Obviously, is when the seller sells you the same amount of product, but at a cheaper price. That's selling cheaper. For example, if a hawker normally sells his goods at $1 per kg, but sells you at $1 for 2kgs, its a scam, and is not called selling cheaper. If a hawker sells you at 50 cents, for 1 kg, that is selling cheaper.

Isn't it the same thing? Isn't the good still sold at 50 cents per kg in both cases? Whats the big deal?

The big deal has been touched on my last entry: YOU DON'T NEED THAT EXTRA 1 KG!!! You do not need to buy an extra kg of chicken breast meat for tonight's meal, but when he tells you he'll give you more, you say, "Okay." Is that a need? Is that not greed? If a hawker is preying on your greed factor, simply so he can sell his goods, is that not a scam? Is that not exploiting your greed factor? You have been exploited. Is that not a scam?

What about the other case then? If he sells at 50 cents for 1 kg, and you buy 1 kg at 50 cents, then he's selling cheaper. That's my stand. How about, then, when you buy 2 kgs, at 50 cents each? Its still not a scam, isn't it?

Wrong again. It becomes a scam now.

Same argument. Do you need that extra kg? If you do not need it, but are buying it simply because it is cheaper now, is that not greed? And even if the hawker did not mean it, he still did prey on your greed, and thus, it is a scam.

Are those arguments stupid? Frankly, if you'll think about it, they are not. The world out there is full of sharks. One way or another, you'll get bitten. The only thing that matters is how you were bitten.

I delved deeper into the subject the same way I delved deeper into the meat of the curry chicken I was disecting at the dinner table. Let's talk about comercial tactics then. A great example is McDonald's. I'm simply sick and tired of Mickey Dees and their stupid scam of lowering prices. One day ago, fish 'o' fillet is selling at $3.95 per piece. The next day, it's a SPECIAL OFFER at $2 only.

Grab it while it lasts!

Based on my earlier argument, that's not a scam. Its simply selling cheaper. After all, they're still selling you one piece, but at a lower price. If you buy more than one simply because it is cheaper, it becomes a scam, but otherwise, its not. Correct?

As usual, you are wrong. Really, you have to do more about your IQ. Anyway, I digress.

Even if you buy only one fish 'o' fillet, at $2, it is still a scam. WHY? Why is it a scam here and not a scam in my hawker example? I'm just contradicting myself, right? (I don't need to tell you you're wrong again, do I?)

Wrong. I'm not contradicting myself. (Heh)

Think about it. Mickey Dees is a company out to make profit. How does it do so? It sells at outrageously expensive prices which, after a while, we're all used to. So when it suddenly drops prices, or "sells cheaper" by quoting myself, what do you think will be the response? Yes, some people will buy more. What about others, other greed-conscious people like you and me? Most likely we'll just simply switch from Burger King to Mac's every time we have an urge for fastfood. We do need that energy. We did not buy extra just because its cheaper. Why is it a scam then?

Mac's is making more of a profit than it usually does.

It has, by dropping prices, successfully poached countless students from Burger King and KFC to eat at their place instead. They have exploited our practicality. We're eating there because it is cheaper. (We need the energy, and we're not buying extra, but it is cheaper than in BK's, which would provide the same amount of energy.) We're being practical. And because we are, thus we are exploited.

Thus, it is a scam.

Sounds like a joke doesn't it? I agree with you. In fact, I think it is. The whole bloody, convulated, screwed-up world we live in is one big, ugly joke. But anyway, I digress again.

Like in all philosophical discussions, we must always go back to the basics of the topic.

My point is, even in everyday life, we're being lied to. We're being cheated. We're having our legs pulled. We're... you get the picture, right? (I ran out of words to describe 'lie' anyway.)

In fact, lies are packaged in such a way, it doesn't feel like a lie. Even a lie-expert like me gets conned once in a while. By simple, everyday things. Not by an elaborate consipracy, but by simple everyday normal things. Do I still need to stress that? No? Then do you get the picture? That the whole damn world is ONE BIG LIE? What we perceive as truths may be lies. What then, is the real truth?

Does it even exist?

I used to define "truth" as each person's perception. Thus, truth is not something that can be put onto paper. The "fact" that the sun rises everyday from the east may not be a "truth". A caveman, when turned around, would perceive the sun as rising from the west if he does not know otherwise, thus the "fact" that the sun rises differently each day is the "truth" to him.

But if the "truth" that we perceive is also a lie... then what is truth? Is there any such thing then? Thinking along the same line, (but in the opposite direction) the lies we come up with may become the truth to the victim whom we've successfully convinced. So... is lie truth? Do they two absolutes even exist then? Can they be defined? Are they, like in Maths, termed as (N.A.) ?

Are we all lying to ourselves now? Are we going to school and lying to ourselves that we are studying? Are we going for GP lessons and lying to ourselves that we are learning more about this cynical, lying world? Is our life a huge lie?

Or is, like I used to define truth, everything we see, the way we see it, the truth? Are we going for lectures, and perceiving that we are learning something, thus we did? Are we going for GP, and, having convinced ourselves we're learning more about this cynical, lying world, learn the truth?

A negative sign, -, times a negative sign, -, is equal to a positive sign, +.

Its a mathematical "truth".

What about the saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

Isn't it the same concept of two negatives put together? Which one is correct? If the first one is correct, then there has just been a new lie added to our "truth"ful perception. But if the second one is, then that implies exceptions DO exist, thus, after doing a million times of (-) times (-), one of them might be the exception and not be equals to (+), right? No? Then... isn't it another lie?

My last question posed you, to end off this entry:

Was my entry the "truth", or is it one big elaborate lie?

Have fun figuring it out. Byez.

Looking to the future~
+ + +

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