uncritisize
Doesn’t anyone starting a sentence by saying “I wont lie to you” imply that s/he often lie but will now make an exception? Should you trust such a person?
Stupid questions aren’t they? Oversimplified and naive perhaps. These sort of assumptions are always present in our lives and its probably a good idea to try to isolate and eradicate them.
Assumptions, generalizations and speculations often lead to misunderstandings. The more extreme the assumption, the more extreme the misunderstanding.
Maybe we should strive to be naive and take things at face value as often as possible (tho not always). Then any misunderstandings that surface are probably originating in the other persons assumptions, rather then your own. And tho I’m not sure why, this seems preferable.
Smallwoman said,
March 20, 2006 at 4:41 pm
To start a sentence with “I won’t lie to you” does not imply that every sentence this person utters ordinarily is a lie. This statement is not just a sentence it’s more then that. It’s a reassurance to make sure that you are aware that you will be told the truth because You required them to do so, not because the informant wanted you tell you. Fex You are a fat lady who asks your friend if you look fat in your newly bought partydress. She tells you; I won’t lie to you, you look a bit chubby in that outfit. In that way she has covered her own ass because she starts the sentence by referring to the totally correct Lutheran values “thou should not tell a lie”. As you ask, you will be answered and so forth. By not uttering this sentence the friend will be put in an awkward position. She will be inclined to tell you a) the truth, but from her own lips or b) lie and tell you that you look gorgeous in your new dress.
Therefore there is no correlation to start a sentence with the words “I will not lie to you…” and to ordinarily lie, quite the opposite actually.