When I saw this prompt, the first question that came to my mind was, “Is lying the cause of the many problems we have in this world?” I thought about it a lot while my brain was running in many directions, and I concluded that lying is not the only cause of problems in this world but a major factor. We have things like greed and selfishness, which often lead to lies.
So, how would the world look like without lies?
Let me take politicians, for instance. They boldly lie on the days of their manifesto presentations, making promises about things they are willing to do once voted into office. A world without lies would help us see through the hearts of these people because they would speak the truth. By doing so, we would know the kind of person to vote into office. A world without lies would significantly reduce the rate of bad governance. This does not mean that politicians would not find other means to implement their "smart acts," but judging them by the truth they speak would go a long way in selecting genuine leaders. Don't you think bad leadership is one of the biggest issues we are suffering.... especially in Africa?
There would be no need for courts of law because, most times, what takes people to court is the need to detect truth and lies. In a world without lies, there would be fewer disputes to drag out.
Even when greed is at play, its effect would be drastically reduced because lies cover up many things when executing a greedy act. Are you doubting this? Let me give you an instance.
Let's say a man is jealous of his brother and wants to take him down by all means. The possible actions he is going to take to make his brother fall for his tricks or traps must involve lies. For example, if he wants to poison his brother's food or drink, it would be very hard for him to gain access, especially if they do not live together. If lies are not available to bypass the brother’s wife or even play some smart trick on his brother directly, his plan cannot work.
I just thought of this now: a world without lies would make the educational sector very simple and easy. Lecturers would not lie about what they intend to set in examination questions. During my schooling days, we had lecturers who would give us areas of concentration to read, yet they would end up setting questions in a completely different way. Well, I just brought this up, but it is part of the discussion. I know it sounds funny, but it is true.
A world without lies would surely make our lives much more pleasant compared to what we currently have. Life would be far better than what we have now.
Thanks for reading this piece.
I wrote this in response to Hive Ghana prompt. You can join the contest too.