I’ve
written about The Big Lie many times over the years, and it’s more in evidence
today than ever before in our nation’s capital. Shock and disgust over
sexual harassment in government, Hollywood, and the corporate world is a Big
Lie. Tax reform is a Big lie. Social Security is a Big Lie.
Global warming is a Big Lie. Braying over the plight of so-called
Dreamers is a Big Lie. And, of course, any government solution to the
healthcare crisis is a Big Lie.
The
Big Lie is a tool used by high-level, professional liars, those who are so
morally flawed that they are able to apply their craft with a straight face —
as in, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”
These
accomplished liars understand that the key to effectively utilizing The Big Lie
is to refuse to give ground even when the facts threaten to expose you.
On the contrary, effective tellers of The Big Lie are masters at feigning
indignation, adopting a sanctimonious posture, and quickly going on the
offensive when challenged.
The
most masterful perpetrators of The Big Lie are those who wear personality masks
intended to deceive. They are, in the words of M. Scott Peck, “People of
the Lie.”
A
few examples include:
- Media
personalities who posit themselves as professional commentators while
relentlessly pushing their hate-inspired agendas. They are, in fact,
People of the Lie.
- Politicians
who cast themselves as champions of “women’s rights,” defenders of the
“middle class,” or protectors of “the poor” in an effort to win votes.
They are, in fact, People of the Lie.
- Those
who justify the use of violence by claiming to be in hot pursuit of
“social justice.” They are, in fact, People of the Lie.
- Et
al.
People
of the Lie have always been with us and will continue to be with us so long as
the human race exists. They do and say whatever they believe is necessary
to accomplish their ends, which almost always includes achieving power over
others. In fact, in most cases power is the end.
In his book 1984, George Orwell, through his character
O’Brien, underscored this reality when he said:
Now
tell me why we [the Party] cling to power? What is our
motive? Why should we want power? … The Party seeks power entirely for
its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are
interested solely in power. … We know that no one ever seizes power with the
intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. … The
object of power is power.
It’s
worth noting that power and force are not mutually exclusive ends, because a
person can use his personal power to act either constructively or
destructively, and the ultimate destructive use of power is force. Force
is the use of physical or intellectual power to compel or restrain, thus force
robs other people of their power.
In
bygone days, the civilized world did not hesitate to use overwhelming,
retaliatory force to destroy People of the Lie who tried to establish power
over massive numbers of people through the use of force. Despots like
Hitler and Mussolini were crushed without ceremony. Nevertheless, it is
obvious to all but the sleepwalkers among us that People of the Lie are in
positions of power more than ever before and are taking ever-greater control of
world events.
Sadly,
this will not change any time soon. You and I do not have the means to
rid the world of lying tyrants, but we can control how People
of the Lie affect us on a personal level by being vigilant, well informed, and
willing to face up to the truth about who these people are when they cross our
paths.
If
it’s obvious that someone is wearing a psychic mask — i.e., trying to represent
himself to be someone other than who he really is — it’s almost always a big
mistake to try to convince yourself that it’s your imagination. In my
experience, when someone hisses like a snake and slithers like a snake, he
always turns out to be a snake.
By
all means, you should give family, friends, and seemingly well-meaning people
who come into your life the benefit of the doubt. But when it comes to
those whom you suspect of being be People of the Lie, giving them the benefit
of the doubt can be an invitation to a snakebite.
In
other words, at the first sign of dishonesty, it’s wise to resist the
temptation to be naïve. Do you really believe the teller of The Big Lie
is going to respond to your presentation of facts by saying, “Gee, I hadn’t
really thought about it in that way before. I guess I was wrong.”
Forget it. People of the Lie actually thrive on telling The Big
Lie; it’s what they live for.
What
I’ve learned through all too much firsthand experience is that the most
rationally selfish way to handle People of the Lie is to respond with my feet.
Plain and simple, you do not have an obligation to allow a person of
questionable character to enter, or remain in, your life.
And
what about People of the Lie who roam the halls of Congress? While it may
not be possible to completely extricate yourself from government busybodies who
seek ever more control over your life, it is possible to
lessen their control by making a conscious effort to steer clear of them.
How
does one go about doing that? First and foremost, by not looking to
People of the Lie in Washington to solve his problems. As recent events
in the nation’s capital have clearly demonstrated, the freeloading charlatans
in Washington cannot even solve their own problems.
That
said, I would suggest it’s a good idea to keep in mind Ronald Reagan’s
admonition that government is not the solution to our problem, but, rather,
government is the problem. Then, once this reality is
firmly entrenched in your mind, the challenge is to plan your life accordingly.
+Robert Ringer is an American icon whose
unique insights into life have helped millions of readers worldwide. He is also
the author of two New York Times #1 bestselling books, both of
which have been listed by The New York Times among the 15
best-selling motivational books of all time.
