Since our times as toddlers we have been made to believe in many lies. “Don’t watch the TV from a short distance, your eyes will turn red!” “If you eat carrots, your vision will get better.” Were only some of the lies that have been told to us. Although they weren’ t totally inaccurate, they were clearly truths bent to manipulate us. After experiencing all these lies, our minds have been set to think that lies are a norm and it won’t hurt to tell “a white lie” every now and then. Is bending the truth a necessity though? Let’s find out.
A lot of us lie on a daily basis to escape obstacles whether it is to not upset a coworker on their new haircut that we dislike or, to get ourselves out of trouble. Many of us bend the truths to fit into society’s standards. Bent lies have even changed the course of history. An example is Operation Bodyguard: Deception Before D-Day. In 1944 the allies wanted to trick Nazi Germany by setting up a fake warsight in Pas-de-Calais, when the real invasion was set in Normandy. Dummy tanks and fake radio signals were planted in the sight. This way the truth was bent and The Nazis were left to think that Pa-de-Calais was under attack. This deception helped the Allies establish a foothold in France and contributed significantly to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany, many lives were saved. Although not having as significant of an impact, bent truths can still save us from a lot of circumstances.
One thing to always keep in mind though, is the distinct line between “bent truths” and “straight out lies” . Bending the truth means stretching or adjusting facts, while a lie is intentionally saying something false to deceive. For example, telling your teacher you have forgotten to upload the homework can play in many different scenarios. It is either that you have done your home and really forgotten to upload it(which means you are telling the truth) or that you have not done your homework but have really forgotten about it (Which is bending the truth) or that you haven’t done it and use the alibi as a coverup(which means you are lying).
To say the least, bent truths can be quite life changing as long as they dont pass the line of lies.