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Jan. 21st, 2013 08:34 amFinished reading Truth In Advertising last night.
From when I started the book, I was thinking rather low of main character Finbar Dolan, for chronically lying to people. A notable example would be that, while talking to several complete strangers about his job, they ask him if he's familiar with the Taco Bell chihuahua, and he says that he wrote those, and naturally, they react as if they had won the lottery. He also lies to someone about his meeting with his brothers and sister, saying that they all had a great time when, in fact, they had a miserable time, despise one another in general, and rarely see each other for that reason. He lies to certain people that his comatose and dying father "got better", even though he actually died and was cremated.
I'll admit that I lie about something or do something otherwise dishonest every now and then. For the most part, though, I say what I mean and mean what I say, regardless of any possible consequences or how someone might feel. For me, being social means nothing if someone isn't honest about stuff, even if they have an understandable reason for being so. If I ever find out that Jake or Chelle lie about stuff, I'd lose respect for them, and maybe even sever ties with them entirely if they lie all the time.
Of course, people in general are known to lie, and it's not like anyone has time to verify every detail of what someone tells them. According to volume 2 of Japanese in Mangaland, you never state what someone else says as if you know for sure, and that's a really good point; you never know when someone is outright lying to you.
But yeah, one of the whole points of that book is that the Fin, as the narrator, needs to let the truth out once and for all. The whole time that the book takes place, and up until then, he's been delusional about his own life. Naturally, you can't tell the truth to other people if you're not honest with yourself. That's part of what self-respect is.
(I remember once, for an interview, Mom told me to tell my interviewer that I've been working regularly for Dad at his workshop, something I only do occasionally. At first, I refused, but she said it's not like I'd be telling them that I worked for Este Lauder. I didn't mention it because it didn't even come up during the actual interview, but if she ever suggests that again, I am gonna say that the answer is no, end of story! And if someone tries to lie to someone else in my presence, and I know that they are lying, I will pour cold water all over what they're saying and probably have nothing to do with them from there on.)
From when I started the book, I was thinking rather low of main character Finbar Dolan, for chronically lying to people. A notable example would be that, while talking to several complete strangers about his job, they ask him if he's familiar with the Taco Bell chihuahua, and he says that he wrote those, and naturally, they react as if they had won the lottery. He also lies to someone about his meeting with his brothers and sister, saying that they all had a great time when, in fact, they had a miserable time, despise one another in general, and rarely see each other for that reason. He lies to certain people that his comatose and dying father "got better", even though he actually died and was cremated.
I'll admit that I lie about something or do something otherwise dishonest every now and then. For the most part, though, I say what I mean and mean what I say, regardless of any possible consequences or how someone might feel. For me, being social means nothing if someone isn't honest about stuff, even if they have an understandable reason for being so. If I ever find out that Jake or Chelle lie about stuff, I'd lose respect for them, and maybe even sever ties with them entirely if they lie all the time.
Of course, people in general are known to lie, and it's not like anyone has time to verify every detail of what someone tells them. According to volume 2 of Japanese in Mangaland, you never state what someone else says as if you know for sure, and that's a really good point; you never know when someone is outright lying to you.
But yeah, one of the whole points of that book is that the Fin, as the narrator, needs to let the truth out once and for all. The whole time that the book takes place, and up until then, he's been delusional about his own life. Naturally, you can't tell the truth to other people if you're not honest with yourself. That's part of what self-respect is.
(I remember once, for an interview, Mom told me to tell my interviewer that I've been working regularly for Dad at his workshop, something I only do occasionally. At first, I refused, but she said it's not like I'd be telling them that I worked for Este Lauder. I didn't mention it because it didn't even come up during the actual interview, but if she ever suggests that again, I am gonna say that the answer is no, end of story! And if someone tries to lie to someone else in my presence, and I know that they are lying, I will pour cold water all over what they're saying and probably have nothing to do with them from there on.)