Mike,

I think you have identified an important idea that should be spread to all people's minds. Once the notion of the "lying arts" is understood by people, the next easy step is to identify places where it is practiced. The next easy step is for those who practice it to abandon it out of shame.

Some obvious places where the "arts" are practiced that come to my mind are advertising, law, politics, and sales. It also rears its ugly head in education, and religious organizations. Even though it is not wholly absent from science, I think science has the best formal safeguards against it of any institution. Science's peer review process and intolerance for deceit should be the model for others.

Warm regards,

Paul

(Yes, I'm still around but I don't have much time to comment.)

• The art of lying is called acting - yanniru - June 17, 2002 - 19:45 UTC
  • I can tolerate a lot of "fiction" - carefuluniverse - June 17, 2002 - 21:24 UTC
• good to hear from you - carefuluniverse - June 18, 2002 - 18:18 UTC