What If there was no such thing as Lying?

[BytByte]

Simple question. What do you think the world would be like if lying was not a thing that people were able to do?

Would it make our lives better? If suddenly we could only tell the truth tomorrow would that hurt in the present and help us in the long run like a band-aid, or would that ruin society?

I for one think it'd be nice, but it would also take the spice outta life. Some deceit can be fun!

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

Well if nothing else every politician ever would be out of a job.

 

[Silvanus]

We'd be living in a fairly mediocre Ricky Gervais film.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I can assume the entire will be under chaotic hysterical!

I mean think about it, politician, lawyers, business people, law enforcement, developers and even among our families (especiall the unfaithful) will argue like there's no tomorrow! It would be like the new "gate"!

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

Would be useful for some things

Would make me institute a policy of saying "None of your business" as a response more often to make it harder to discern of its policy or a genuine desire to avoid the question

 

[Asita]

Well it would certainly make the lives of traffic cops a bit easier...

Spoiler

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Well I think we'd all finally be able to admit how great and amazing I am.

 

[False Nobility]

Healthy relationships may become rare...
We might have good politics, but bad military tactics?

 

[DefunctTheory]

Wasn't there a movie about this?

In any case, it would be terrible. Lying is ultimately a creative process, arguably at the heart of the whole thing, and it's hard to imagine how you could alter the human mind is such a way that it couldn't lie without taking away a lot of what makes life and people interesting. It's the same problem one is presented with when people ask 'What if there was no religion.' The answer is 'There wouldn't be human beings anymore, or at least anything that would be remotely human as we knew it.'

 

[Queen Michael]

Wasn't there a movie about this?

And a long part of Gulliver's Travels. The best part of the entire novel, in my opinion.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

Still pretty much the same, because truth can always be twisted to the extent where it is unrecognizable, people will believe in what they believe in, and lastly because you can lie to yourself.

Many falsehoods in the world is not caused by intention to deceive, but because of misdirection and misunderstanding. I doubt clearing up the first one will help much.

 

[Shiver Me Tits]

We'd be fucked, and you know why? Nobody so far has even considered that you can be totally honest, and totally wrong. The idea that "Not lying" must equal "True" is why eyewitness testimony is at the same time, incredibly unreliable, and almost universally accepted.

 

[Thetwistedendgame]

Everyone would suck at playing poker.

 

[Saelune]

I will be the one to say the world will be better. A world full of BS hasn't gotten us anywhere great.

 

[Frankster]

As a small kid I swore I would never tell a lie and always be truthful.

And all that ever accomplished was pissing people off and seem outright rude "does my butt look big in this" "your butt looks big in everything so doesn't matter what you wear, it will always be big" (not something I actually ever said but you get the idea).

So I'd be inclined to feel not being able to lie would just result in a world where people are too afraid to speak, lest their truthful words are what others do not want to hear, which is often the case with the truth.

Would certainly make for some interesting politicians though and might actually benefit in global relations since would be hard to mistrust countries who openly admit whatever wrongs they might have done. Hate them certainly, but would never be a doubt as to whether x country did y thing.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Humanity would destroy itself inside of a decade. We NEED to be able to lie to each other; most of us can't handle the truth. (Just for example: How many marriages would survive more than a few rounds of "Was it good for you?" "Not really."?)

 

[FalloutJack]

I don't think it would work out very well. Computers can do nothing but tell the truth and look how poorly they function sometimes.

 

[FPLOON]

Well, sarcasm would not exist if lying doesn't exist... Alongside condescending, passive aggressiveness, and drunken confessions...

Other than that, certain "-isms" would end more brutally than expected... and skeletons would never live in closets...

 

[crimson5pheonix]

It'd be terrible, honesty is a disease.