I had a regular habit of telling lies as a child.

And so I spent a part of my childhood confessing to the lies I told.

It was a strange world to inhabit – telling lies and not realizing that all of them were lies.  I saw some of them as negotiations so I wouldn’t get in trouble.  Some of  them were fantasies I wanted to believe in – and some of them were – embroideries.  Just little – twists – on what might have been true.  Some of them were whoppers I wanted to get some kind of seismic reaction.

When I performed as an actor onstage – I never considered the scripts as lies, but as the truth being revealed to those listening.  (Audience memeber: “How could you remember all those lines?” Me:  “Simple – they were all lies.”) (Okay, that’s a lie I never said that but I could have.)

Now I’m writing a script where there are lies – or half-lies – half truths in abundance.  It’s interesting to re-visit that land again where the lies are hard to define.

Here’s a Ted Talk where Pamela Meyer talks about “Spotting a Lie”.  I’m not sure I agree with all of her evidence – but I found it fascinating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_6vDLq64gE&feature=relmfu