## True Lie

True Lie is the process of adding more truth to make your lie more potent.

Let's start with a logical paradox:

> "I always lie"

Here is the problem with this statement:

- If that statement is a lie: then I lied about "always lying", which means I must have told the truth at some point.
- If that statement is the true: then I don't always lie, because I just told the truth.

Thus one can never say "I always lie"

Now let's add a bit of truth to the first statement.

> "I mostly lie"

Hopefully you don't know people in your life who mostly lie. But it's still possible for someone to do so.

Very simple, a lie cannot exist on it's own; it requires some truth. In fact I would say that truth is the foundation of existence. But here is the catch, more truth is not necessarily better.

Imagine I am pitching a business idea to you. Which one of these statements do you better understand:

1. "We are creating a decentralized financial derivative exchange where institutions can trade inverse futures contracts without the requirement of a clearing house"

2. "We are creating Robinhood for corporations"

The first statement has more facts in it, but I would argue the second statement is more truth. Here the receiver matters (did the falling tree make a sound?) in the reality which the listener has constructed for themselves inside their own mind the lesser truth is transformed to a greater truth. This is also why we teach the standard model of atoms in school.

The second statement is a half Truth. Half truths have good results. In fact half truth might be more lead to more truth, as shown in the example above. While true lies lead to less truth, regardless of their intentions.

> "The liars punishment in that he cannot believe anyone else" Rumi

## Examples of true lies

Here are some examples of lies which have been empowered by truths.

### Recycling

Simply put, recycling was a lie created by the oil industry to sell more plastic. Yap, all those "Keep America Beautiful" campaigns, the green earth recycling logo on plastic bags were a big fat lie. Plastic recycling very simple does not work; only 10% of our plastic is recycled, If we are lucky.

So many were passionate and spend so much time and energy making sure they recycled, and advocated for others to recycle. This sadly might have contributed to even more pollution. Recycling companies sell the garbage to developing Asian nation that attempts to extract the last remaining value before dumping it in the river and polluting the environment.

### Carrots

True likes are more likely to spread faster. Take the following statement "carrots are good for you" there is a bit of truth to it, but it's mostly false. It's hard to investigate every fact that comes your way, and as long as it mostly checks out, you pass it along. Because you think it would be helpful to other and you are doing something good.

Again the true lie does not have to start off maliciously, you could be a game of telephone where there are small mutations as the information gets passed along. And one of these mutations can cause cancer.

### Rat poison

If you tried to feed a rat deadly toxins, they will have a visceral reaction and try to bit your finger. Here is what you should do instead, get some delicious rat food, and the add only the tiniest bit of poison. That rat will gobble up that poison like a pig. (And it still might bit your finger)

The less you reduce the trace of poison, the more likely the rat would take the bait. The ideal rat poison has just enough toxins to get the job done.

### Your will power

Not all true lies have to be malicious. In fact the best true lies are done with the best of intentions. The more you believe in your good intentions then the more permission you give yourself to bend the rules. You might think to yourself that you deserve it.

You are trying to lose weight. So you start working out and eating healthy food. Your very proud of yourself; and then you see the devils temptation, chocolate. You tell yourself you need positive reinforcement to continue your routing. But here is what happens most often, You actually eat more chocolate than you did before you started your diet, and end up gaining weight.


> “Misguided good men are more dangerous than honest bad men. It is because they are seen as good that, in and by good conscience, the mob will always, stubbornly back them without question.” Criss Jami

## How to tell true lies

Let's take the Iraq war as an example

### Distract from a bigger idea

The military industrial complex is losing it's important after the collapse of the soviet union. The oil industry is under squeeze due to the lack of viable oilfields to profit from?

Don't worry about those silly questions. The French don't support our war, so let's replace French fries with freedom fries. For bonus damage, overwhelm them with this lesser truth; have it constantly replayed.

### Add in social norms

You don't support the president? Then your a bad person who wants to see innocent people die, and you probably support terrorist. I guess your no longer invited to thanks giving. You are either with us or against us. (Take the Dixie Chicks protest as an example)

### Waits for the right time

9/11 continuous to be the most shocking tragedy for many Americans. And after this event, emotions were high and people were ready to take action. Sadly this was exploited for the invasion of Iraq; despite the tenuous

See also, "The Shock Doctrine"

### Swap one question for another

Here is the question that needed to be answered:

"Does Saddam have weapons of mass destruction?"

Well we didn't know at the time. So we replaced this question with one which we know the answer to.

"Is Saddam Hussein an unstable maniac?"

Well yes. He invaded Iran in 1979 which lead to one of the deadliest wars of the 21st century, and then not long after he invaded Kuwait, a U.S. ally. So he must have weapons of mass destruction.

Tragically, hundreds of thousands in the war. Just because of a lie that was given so much truth.

> “The best lies contain within them nuggets of truth, enough to give a listener pause.” George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings