Jordan Peterson - Side Effects of Telling Lies
Summary
TLDRThe speaker uses the story of Pinocchio to explore the consequences of lying, emphasizing the complexity and complications that arise from dishonesty. They discuss the importance of truth-telling, especially in high-stress situations, and share personal anecdotes to illustrate the point that honesty can be a protective mechanism. The narrative also touches on the idea that nature, symbolized by the Blue Fairy, is forgiving, but there are limits to deception, even for the most charming of characters.
Takeaways
- 🌳 The script personifies Nature as the Blue Fairy, suggesting that nature is forgiving and understanding, especially towards children.
- 🤔 Pinocchio's naivety and moral ambiguity are highlighted as he lies instead of admitting his wrongdoings, reflecting his lack of self-awareness.
- 📏 The concept of honesty is emphasized through the metaphor of Pinocchio's growing nose, illustrating the complications that arise from dishonesty.
- 🗣️ The speaker shares a clinical perspective on the importance of truth-telling, especially in unpredictable or dangerous situations.
- ⚠️ Lying to paranoid individuals is cautioned against, as it can escalate tensions and lead to dire consequences due to their heightened vigilance.
- 🔍 The speaker advises to tell the truth minimally and carefully when in a difficult situation, as a form of self-preservation.
- 🛂 An airport incident is recounted to demonstrate the practical application of truth-telling in a tense scenario, underscoring its effectiveness.
- 🐉 The script likens the act of lying to the mythological hydra, where one lie begets multiple complications, leading to an uncontrollable situation.
- 😅 The downfall of politicians like Anthony Weiner is used as an example of how lies can spiral out of control, causing greater damage than the initial mistake.
- ⏳ The Blue Fairy's leniency towards Pinocchio serves as a reminder of the potential for forgiveness, but also the importance of learning from one's mistakes.
Q & A
What does the Blue Fairy represent in the context of the transcript?
-In the transcript, the Blue Fairy represents Nature, who is portrayed as forgiving and understanding, especially towards children.
Why does Pinocchio lie to the Blue Fairy instead of telling the truth about his kidnapping?
-Pinocchio lies to the Blue Fairy because he is naive and not fully aware of the consequences of his actions. He also lacks a clear understanding of his own intelligence and the intelligence of others.
What is the significance of Pinocchio's growing nose in the story?
-Pinocchio's growing nose symbolizes the consequences of lying. It serves as a reminder that lies can lead to more complex situations and eventually become difficult to manage.
Who is Mark Twain, and what quote is attributed to him in the transcript?
-Mark Twain, also known as Samuel Clemens, is a famous American writer. The quote attributed to him in the transcript is: 'One of the advantages to telling the truth, is that you don't have to remember what you said.'
What lesson does the speaker learn from being a clinician that is relevant to the story of Pinocchio?
-The speaker learns as a clinician that telling the truth, even in difficult or dangerous situations, can be a protective mechanism and can sometimes save one's life.
Why is it dangerous to lie to someone who is paranoid, according to the transcript?
-Lying to someone who is paranoid is dangerous because paranoia makes people hyper-vigilant. They are constantly watching for signs of deceit, and a lie can quickly escalate the situation.
What is the advice given for dealing with a potentially violent or intimidating situation?
-In potentially violent or intimidating situations, the advice is to tell the truth minimally, avoid bravado, and follow instructions carefully to increase the chances of a peaceful resolution.
How does the speaker describe the process of lying and its consequences?
-The speaker describes the process of lying as creating a 'hydra' of problems. Each lie can lead to multiple unexpected consequences, requiring more lies to cover them up, eventually leading to a 'Ball of Lies' that becomes painfully evident.
What example does the speaker give to illustrate the dangers of lying?
-The speaker gives the example of a politician, Anthony Weiner, who initially made a mistake but then compounded it with more lies, leading to a scandal that could have potentially been avoided by telling the truth.
What does the Blue Fairy tell Pinocchio regarding his future behavior?
-The Blue Fairy tells Pinocchio that while she is willing to forgive him this time, she cannot intervene on his behalf again, implying that he must learn from his mistakes and stop lying.
Outlines
🌳 Nature's Forgiveness and the Consequences of Lying
The speaker begins by discussing the role of 'Nature' as a forgiving entity, using the example of a mother's acceptance of her child's behavior. This is contrasted with the societal expectation that children should be truthful. The narrative shifts to the story of Pinocchio, where the character's naivety and lack of moral compass lead him to lie, resulting in his punishment, symbolized by the growth of his nose. The speaker reflects on the importance of honesty, citing Mark Twain's quote about the simplicity of truth-telling. They then share personal experiences as a clinician, emphasizing the value of truthfulness in unpredictable situations, especially when dealing with individuals who are paranoid or potentially violent. The speaker concludes by stressing that honesty can be a protective mechanism in dangerous circumstances.
🗣️ The Hydra of Lying and its Unintended Consequences
In the second paragraph, the speaker delves into the complexities and repercussions of lying, likening it to the mythological hydra where each lie spawns multiple complications. They use the example of children learning early on that a single lie can lead to a cascade of additional lies to cover up the initial untruth. The speaker humorously references the case of politician Anthony Weiner, illustrating how a single mistake can spiral into a major scandal due to attempts to conceal it. The narrative returns to Pinocchio, where the Blue Fairy, acknowledging his youth and naivety, offers him a chance to correct his ways but warns him against repeating his dishonest behavior. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of truth and the potential for forgiveness when mistakes are acknowledged and not compounded by further dishonesty.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Nature
💡Naive
💡Truthfulness
💡Paranoia
💡Hyper-vigilance
💡Consequences
💡Intimidation
💡Lies
💡Protection
💡Politicians
Highlights
Nature is personified as the Blue Fairy, symbolizing a forgiving and nurturing force.
Children are inherently forgiven more readily due to biological and societal wiring.
Pinocchio's naivety and moral ambiguity are highlighted through his actions and decisions.
Pinocchio's intelligence is questioned as he fails to recognize his own and others' capabilities.
The significance of truth-telling is underscored by Pinocchio's lie leading to a physical manifestation of deceit.
A quote attributed to Mark Twain emphasizes the simplicity of truth over the complexity of lies.
The narrator's clinical experience teaches the value of honesty in unpredictable situations.
Deception can be dangerous, especially with individuals who are paranoid and hyper-vigilant.
The narrator shares a personal anecdote about the importance of truth-telling in a tense airport situation.
Lying is compared to a hydra, where one lie breeds multiple complications.
The downfall of politicians like Anthony Weiner is used as an example of the consequences of lying.
The Blue Fairy's leniency towards Pinocchio is contrasted with the harsher reality of political scandal.
The narrative suggests that initial honesty could have prevented escalation into scandal.
Pinocchio's lies grow into an 'elaborate series of lies', illustrating the snowball effect of dishonesty.
The Blue Fairy's warning to Pinocchio about the consequences of continued dishonesty.
Transcripts
...so the blue Fairy shows up, so that's Nature. So what I'm saying is, that Nature will cut kid's a break.
If you think of Nature and the guise of... well, their mother for example,
but even the biology of other people.
Because we're wired to accept behavior from children, that we wouldn't accept from other people.
So, Nature will forgive.
So she shows up, in her heavenly guise, and says:
"What's going on?", and Pinocchio...
Again - because he's naive, but also because he's not good.
He's not evil either. He's neither, or both, it depends on how you look at it.
And...
He also has no idea how smart he is and how smart he isn't, or how smart the person he's talking to is.
And uh...
Instead of admitting what he's done,
he lies about it.
And that's interesting, because it does suggest, that
he understands at some level, that he set himself up for this.
Because you know, he could just say- he could have just told the truth:
"This horrible Fox...
kidnapped me, and sold me to this slave holder."
Which is... true, it's a lot more true than the story he tells.
He tells a story about some monster.
You know, a fictional monster.
He could've told even ¾ of the truth and have it worked, but he doesn't, he just...
obscures the story entirely. And this is the part of the movie that people remember.
Um... and I'd edited this out for years, when I was talking about this movie.
[temporary stammer]
I forgot why it was so significant.
His nose grows, right? And...
It- it grows to ridiculous length.
And why is that?
[Freeze-frame from the 1940 "Pinocchio"]
I think it was Mark Twain,
[a.k.a.] Samuel Clemens, I think, who said:
"One of the advantages to telling the truth, is that you don't have to remember what you said."
And that- God, that's worth listening to, because...
*sigh*
So, there's a bunch of things I've learned as a clinician.
And one of them is, cause you're often in really weird situations with people, if you're a clinician.
Because things happen, that don't happen normally.
And you don't know what to do.
And so, what I've learned, is I just say what's happening.
Whatever it is, regardless of what it is, you know. I'll just try to describe it,
as accurately as I can, and not worry about - in some sense, not worry about the consequences.
You know, like I'm not going out of my way to cause trouble, but...
If you're in a really... And I'm telling you, this can save your life at times.
Especially if you're dealing with someone who's paranoid, who's really paranoid.
You do NOT lie to someone who's paranoid and violent.
Because as soon as you lie, you're aligned with the forces that are persecuting them.
And they're gonna be wa- because paranoia makes people hyper-vigilant, like they're on amphetamines.
In fact, you can make people paranoid by giving them enough amphetamines,
and you can make paranoid people MORE paranoid by giving them amphetamines.
So they're hyper-vigilant,
because they feel that everything is predatory and against them.
And so they're watching you, like you would not believe.
WAY more than you're watching them.
And if you flicker a lie while you're talking to them,
and they're really on the edge, you- you're done.
So it's one thing to really know, if you're ever in a really bad situation,
and you don't know what to do.
You tell the truth minimally. Don't disclose too much, that's just another lie.
You tell the truth minimally, and carefully, and hopefully.
And you MIGHT get out of it. You might get out of it,
but if you falsify it...
Look the hell out.
So...
The truth is a real mechanism of protection in dangerous situations.
You know, so if someone's trying to intimidate you, and you think
they might get violent, and they ask you if you're afraid,
then - you tell them,
that you're terrified and that you hope, that things will go okay.
Or you say...
*waves finger*
I'll give you an example.
One time I was in an airport, and uh...
We're in this lineup to fly back to Canada, that said "International Flights".
And so, it's a long lineup, like 50 people, and we got a-
I got about three from the front, there's still like 40 people behind me, and
the guy behind the counter decided, that he was just gonna shut down the line, and that we could all go
to this other line, which was like 300 people long!
And I suggested, that he... not do that, because we'd been standing there for half an hour,
and that he could just deal with the 20 of us that were left, and
and, like, have a clue.
So he called the sheriff, right away.
And this was down in Florida, and it wasn't that long after 9/11.
And so these guys came up, and they were armed! And they came and said...
Looked at me, because of course, he told them that I was causing trouble.
Which I wasn't. I was just trying to not...
let...
What would you say.
An arrogant, bureaucratic scum rat take advantage of me.
[laughter]
So... which is not the same as causing trouble.
So anyways, as soon as the cops came up, I said "Look,
I'm going to do exactly what you tell me to do, right now,
and I'm not gonna cause any trouble.
But I would like you to hear what actually happened."
And so, that's a good example of a situation like that. It's like,
if someone's got you,
no bravado, it's a very bad idea.
And I was going to do exactly what they told me, because you know...
They didn't know who I was. And I didn't know what they had been told.
So, anyhow...
The problem with lying, is that it's a hydra.
And kids find this out very early. Cause you tell one lie, and
what happens, is it has one of the consequences that you expect, maybe you get away with it.
But it has 3 or 4 others that you don't expect.
And so, it's like it grows some... some complexity.
Then you have to tack a lie on each of those little
"Complexity-O-crops", and then they grow three more complexities, and soon
this little lie turns into a great big Ball of Lies, and at some point it becomes
painfully evident to everyone.
And by that time, you're in such- You see this with politicians, like that guy who was sexting.
Um... [student] Anthony Wiener.
Anthony Weiner, yeah! Perfect name for him, man, it's so funny.
[giggle]
I shouldn't make that comment cause it's so obvious, but it's still funny.
[laughter]
But you know, he... That's exactly what happened to him, it's like...
It wasn't even so much the event. Because...
You know, people are stupid, they make mistakes.
And actually, the public is somewhat forgiving, if you say:
"Yeah jeez, I'm a real moron, and you know... Like really. Seriously. How could I do that?
But I did, and like... I'll try not to do it again."
But what happens with politicians, is...
(and I'm not speaking specifically of politicians), is they'll make an error,
and it gets exposed, and then they make three others trying to cover it up.
Happened with Nixon, for example.
And then the whole thing just turns into a complete scandal.
And maybe they could have got out of it at the beginning, by just - telling the truth.
It's like "Yes. I'm an idiot, you know.
I'll try not to do it again."
Well, that isn't what happens in this case, and Pinocchio
grows this elaborate series of lies, and
the Fairy is willing to be a little generous to him,
because he's little and cute, and he's still a puppet,
and she tells him... not to do that.
And that she's gonna give him a pass this time, but
that she isn't going to be able to intervene on his behalf again.
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