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Question I am a liar. It's difficult because all lies are misrepresentations of the past (you can't really lie about the future), but at the same time, since the past only exists within our minds and can only be represented with words, the second I tell a lie, it becomes truth. I guess I'm wondering how a lie is ever a lie given that it is dependent on something that we can't know for certain (the past)?

Accepted:
November 23, 2005

Comments

What about the present? I can lie about the present can't I? Forexample, I could lie to you about what I am doing right now. I won't.

Andyou're mistaken to think that we cannot lie about the future. If I wereto sincerely tell you that I will be eating excellent barbecue tomorrow(I wish!) with the intention that you come to believe me, then thatwould be a lie. I won't be, and I know it. I'll be eating my heart outover not being able to get good barbecue around here. So it seemsobvious that we can and sometimes do lie about the future. Insofar aswe can talk about the future and intend to deceive others about it, wecan lie about it.

How would telling a lie about the past turn the lie into truth? (Note that your way of posing the question assumes that we cantell lies.) Suppose John lies on his job application and says that hereceived a degree from a prestigious university which he neverattended. His claim that he received the degree wouldn't make it true.Haven't we all read articles about this sort of thing happening? Sincehe intentionally deceived about some past event, it is appropriate tocharacterize his action as a lie.