Comments for YES WE KANT http://yeswekant.com My year without lying Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:45:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ Comment on Why Truth can never be a lie by Wayne http://yeswekant.com/2009/02/26/why-truth-can-never-be-a-lie/#comment-1070 Wayne Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:45:44 +0000 http://thecompletekant.com/?p=120#comment-1070 A subject matter that is very close to my heart. The problem I find today is that so much is made into dual dilemmas. And so the question I have is at what level do you consider something a lie if it's not just a black or white issue. For example.; This morning as I left for work my 2 year old daughter ran towards me demanding 'more cuddles' i was already a bit behind schedule and so I gave her a cuddle and recognising her not wanting to stop I put her down and said daddy 'would give her more cuddles when i got home later'. The thing is I knew I would be away for 2 days so in my definition of 'later' I was not being honest, her definition of 'later' is less easy to comprehend but technically wednesday albeit two days away is later. The manipulation aspect then becomes vey important I was taking a literal definition of 'later' to serve my needs. Sometimes silence can be lying when someone fearful of causing upset says nothing. Isn't complicity a kind of lying. I would recommend 'The Idiot' by Dostoevsky it reminds me that however honest I want to be, being in business and not just in the social domain makes not lying far harder to achieve all of the time. yours honestly Wayne A subject matter that is very close to my heart. The problem I find today is that so much is made into dual dilemmas. And so the question I have is at what level do you consider something a lie if it’s not just a black or white issue. For example.; This morning as I left for work my 2 year old daughter ran towards me demanding ‘more cuddles’ i was already a bit behind schedule and so I gave her a cuddle and recognising her not wanting to stop I put her down and said daddy ‘would give her more cuddles when i got home later’. The thing is I knew I would be away for 2 days so in my definition of ‘later’ I was not being honest, her definition of ‘later’ is less easy to comprehend but technically wednesday albeit two days away is later.
The manipulation aspect then becomes vey important I was taking a literal definition of ‘later’ to serve my needs.
Sometimes silence can be lying when someone fearful of causing upset says nothing. Isn’t complicity a kind of lying.
I would recommend ‘The Idiot’ by Dostoevsky it reminds me that however honest I want to be, being in business and not just in the social domain makes not lying far harder to achieve all of the time.

yours honestly
Wayne

]]> Comment on The book by Russ Nelson http://yeswekant.com/the-book/#comment-1069 Russ Nelson Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:09:29 +0000 http://thecompletekant.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-1069 Wow. I'm surprised that no Quakers have commented here yet. We tell the truth all the time. Now ... several people have noted how difficult that would be. It isn't. You learn to not say everything which is true, which is not the same as always telling the truth. Wow. I’m surprised that no Quakers have commented here yet. We tell the truth all the time. Now … several people have noted how difficult that would be. It isn’t. You learn to not say everything which is true, which is not the same as always telling the truth.

]]> Comment on Yes We Kant by Shangri-l@ http://yeswekant.com/2010/06/21/the-complete-kant/#comment-1049 Shangri-l@ Sat, 05 Jun 2010 07:24:43 +0000 http://thecompletekant.com/?p=164#comment-1049 Just fell upon a Swiss TV programme about lying, built around Mr Morrow's experience. I think lying is trying to please, and therefore, somehow, covering up for our own imperfections. Personally, , I've always hated lies and prefer to be my imperfect self than someone who has no courage and does not accept what/who he is. It's also a question of not folding into what others expect from us. I have an Italian friend, who has no problem in telling a white lie ("no, I did not eat the chocolate bar"), to whom I repeatedly say that I prefer to know the truth, however uncomfortable. At least it enables me to know what's what and where I stand. It's just being honest with oneself. It also helps me to understand where I want to be in life, what are MY values, and not give into other people's expectations. But that leads me to say that truth, can - in some cases - be strongly hued with the notion of a personal appreciation ... which is therefore not necessarily THE truth. Telling the truth is then more an affirmation of oneself rather than being an objective reference. But to come back to this Italian friend, met via Internet in 2000, it has been a long apprenticeship of acceptance of someone so fundamentally different from me ; lying to oneself is part of him, and I enjoy listening and digging into his words and outlook, to debate over what is really true. Although they can make us mad, unhappy, hurt, wanting, surprised, isn't that one of the spices in life: differing truths? Just fell upon a Swiss TV programme about lying, built around Mr Morrow’s experience. I think lying is trying to please, and therefore, somehow, covering up for our own imperfections. Personally, , I’ve always hated lies and prefer to be my imperfect self than someone who has no courage and does not accept what/who he is. It’s also a question of not folding into what others expect from us. I have an Italian friend, who has no problem in telling a white lie (“no, I did not eat the chocolate bar”), to whom I repeatedly say that I prefer to know the truth, however uncomfortable. At least it enables me to know what’s what and where I stand. It’s just being honest with oneself. It also helps me to understand where I want to be in life, what are MY values, and not give into other people’s expectations. But that leads me to say that truth, can – in some cases – be strongly hued with the notion of a personal appreciation … which is therefore not necessarily THE truth. Telling the truth is then more an affirmation of oneself rather than being an objective reference.
But to come back to this Italian friend, met via Internet in 2000, it has been a long apprenticeship of acceptance of someone so fundamentally different from me ; lying to oneself is part of him, and I enjoy listening and digging into his words and outlook, to debate over what is really true. Although they can make us mad, unhappy, hurt, wanting, surprised, isn’t that one of the spices in life: differing truths?

]]> Comment on The book by Kamelia http://yeswekant.com/the-book/#comment-763 Kamelia Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:47:38 +0000 http://thecompletekant.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-763 Amazing project, I like your style and I would buy your book online. It is true that not liyng even for a day is a huge effort. In our day to day life we use the phrases "honestly", "to be frank" - which means this is the specific time we say something true ... you made me think how hypocrite we've become. You made me want to change that about myself at least! Amazing project, I like your style and I would buy your book online. It is true that not liyng even for a day is a huge effort. In our day to day life we use the phrases “honestly”, “to be frank” – which means this is the specific time we say something true … you made me think how hypocrite we’ve become. You made me want to change that about myself at least!

]]> Comment on Why Truth can never be a lie by Ken http://yeswekant.com/2009/02/26/why-truth-can-never-be-a-lie/#comment-295 Ken Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:35:18 +0000 http://thecompletekant.com/?p=120#comment-295 Kant is not the person to study in terms of truth telling. Read Bonhoeffer's "What Is Meant by 'Telling the Truth'?" for a much better discussion on the subject. Bonhoeffer will not seem nearly as rigid as Kant, but as you read, you'll notice that he pushes the practice of our faith beyond doing and to being. In other words, it is much more significant that Jesus WAS Truth rather than that he told the truth. Of course, he was and did, but Bonhoeffer asserts that we most often find ourselves doing rather than being. I especially appreciate his opening paragraphs in which he discusses the difference between a child being truthful to his/her parent and a parent being truthful to the child. A small child should certainly disclose all information to a parent whenever asked, and a parent should certainly NOT disclose all information to a child without filtering it through his/her love for that child. Emily Dickinson was wise here as she encouraged us to "Tell all the Truth but tell it slant--- Success in Cirrcuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise As Lightening to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind---" Thank you for your posts and for allowing a comment. May God bless you and your family. Kant is not the person to study in terms of truth telling. Read Bonhoeffer’s “What Is Meant by ‘Telling the Truth’?” for a much better discussion on the subject. Bonhoeffer will not seem nearly as rigid as Kant, but as you read, you’ll notice that he pushes the practice of our faith beyond doing and to being. In other words, it is much more significant that Jesus WAS Truth rather than that he told the truth. Of course, he was and did, but Bonhoeffer asserts that we most often find ourselves doing rather than being.

I especially appreciate his opening paragraphs in which he discusses the difference between a child being truthful to his/her parent and a parent being truthful to the child. A small child should certainly disclose all information to a parent whenever asked, and a parent should certainly NOT disclose all information to a child without filtering it through his/her love for that child.

Emily Dickinson was wise here as she encouraged us to

“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—
Success in Cirrcuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise

As Lightening to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually

Or every man be blind—”

Thank you for your posts and for allowing a comment. May God bless you and your family.

]]> Comment on The book by RM http://yeswekant.com/the-book/#comment-265 RM Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:35:13 +0000 http://thecompletekant.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-265 Very nice idea, i am curious about the book. And for the sake of truthfullness....do swear in your book ...it does add....it adds you in a truthfull way (phase your going through) ...for the sake of your book don´t alter your center self because ´Gordon` might think it is appaling, (and in the process maybe giving your kids the impression it is a ´must to adapt so much in order for others to like it!)... Happy writting :-) Very nice idea, i am curious about the book.

And for the sake of truthfullness….do swear in your book …it does add….it adds you in a truthfull way (phase your going through) …for the sake of your book don´t alter your center self because ´Gordon` might think it is appaling, (and in the process maybe giving your kids the impression it is a ´must to adapt so much in order for others to like it!)…

Happy writting
:-)

]]> Comment on The book by MrHaytch http://yeswekant.com/the-book/#comment-263 MrHaytch Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:43:45 +0000 http://thecompletekant.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-263 Love the idea and the first chapter, when is it going to be out? Love the idea and the first chapter, when is it going to be out?

]]> Comment on Why Truth can never be a lie by OilIsMastery http://yeswekant.com/2009/02/26/why-truth-can-never-be-a-lie/#comment-225 OilIsMastery Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:21:06 +0000 http://thecompletekant.com/?p=120#comment-225 Congratulations! The truth is important. At least I believe it is. It must've been difficult considering the biologists tell us our brains "evolved" in order to manipulate and lie. "In 1978, Richard Dawkins and John Krebs pointed out that animals use communication principally to manipulate one another rather than to transfer information." -- Matt Ridley, biologist, 1993 Congratulations!

The truth is important. At least I believe it is.

It must’ve been difficult considering the biologists tell us our brains “evolved” in order to manipulate and lie.

“In 1978, Richard Dawkins and John Krebs pointed out that animals use communication principally to manipulate one another rather than to transfer information.” — Matt Ridley, biologist, 1993

]]> Comment on The book by Gordon Honeycombe http://yeswekant.com/the-book/#comment-217 Gordon Honeycombe Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:19:26 +0000 http://thecompletekant.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-217 IS the name of your book purposely contrived as a play on words for cheap publicity? I am appalled. IS the name of your book purposely contrived as a play on words for cheap publicity? I am appalled.

]]> Comment on The book by Sam http://yeswekant.com/the-book/#comment-215 Sam Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:54:01 +0000 http://thecompletekant.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-215 I saw you on The big questions on Sunday, I'll definately be getting a copy of this book. Fantastic to see more search for truth. Thank-you and Blessings I saw you on The big questions on Sunday, I’ll definately be getting a copy of this book. Fantastic to see more search for truth. Thank-you and Blessings

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