White Lie - Great Corn

This summer I again witnessed, and was also a participant in, the interesting human behaviour called telling a white lie.

You know, we do it all the time.  When someone asks us "How goes it?" we typically automatically answer "great" or "good" regardless of whether or not the dog peed in our cornflakes that morning.  "So what do you think of my new dress?"  "It looks great!  Suits you well."  It goes on and on.  We just don't want the hassle of having to explain our thoughts, of inflicting embarrassment or unhappiness onto others.  It is just too complicated to be honest sometimes.

There is not anything particularly unique about this summer lie I am about to recount - just that the day after I remember thinking how interesting it is that so many people participated.

My family and four other adults were invited to someone's house for dinner.  The spread was fantastic.  Chicken, beef, multiple salads, chocolate cake, wine, beer, ice cream......and......corn on the cob.  Corn on the cob is one of those things that people always seem to present to guests with words such as "this is the best of the season" "the sweetest" "bought at this great little roadside stand where it is always good" "bought some last week and it was delicious".  Rarely do you get the more honest "I hope it is good!"  This time was no different.  We were about to eat the crunchiest, juiciest and sweetest corn any of us had had that summer bar none.

Crunch.  Yes!

Juice.  Nope....mushy.

Sweet.  Nope...tasteless.

After we all took our first crunchy bites we were asked by the hostess what we thought of this never before tasted, unique and incredibly hard to find corn.

"Good"

"Very good"

"Delicious"

"Hmm"

"Yes"

"Oh ya"

We all lied to save the hostess from embarrassment.  In a way you could say she set herself up for it.  But we were all hesitant, afraid, uncomfortable with revealing the truth, which, by the way, the hostess probably uncovered with her first bite.

White lies happen all the time, as I mentioned.  They happen at work.  Some of them reinforce behaviour ("Joe is a great team lead.  I'd love him on my team").  They happen at home ("That's OK Kim, we can easily clean-up that fruit-punch stain").  Etc.

People afraid to hear the truth?  People afraid to hurt others?  Why would one get upset that the corn is not good?  Who cares?  Stand tall, admit your mistake, error.  In the case of the corn don't take responsibility for a cereal that was grown many kilometres away from your home.  See the comedy in the event.  Don't take it personally.

I realize that in most cases these white lies are over fairly minor, inconsequential events.  However they do reinforce our acceptance of what we find less than perfect.  They stunt our honesty.

Since I am into critiquing our politicians these days I will end by stating this: I hope that when major decisions are being taken our elected officials aren't thinking about what so-and-so will think of them if they speak their mind - "Yes what a wonderful idea, send the troops in".  Another white lie?