솔직함 vs 보편성에 의거한 거짓말
사회가 거짓말을 통계적 기대값으로 전제할 때, 솔직한 사람은 어떤 대답을 해야 하는가 — 꾸며낸 가정 위에서 펼쳐지는 딜레마.
The research described in the assumption below is not real. It was made up to illustrate the core point of this post, and the story unfolds within a society built on that assumption.
Assumption
A study has been published showing that humans have a universal tendency to conceal their flaws.
When test subjects were asked "How many times out of 10 do you lie?", 95% of them turned out to lie at least 2 more times than the number they stated.
For example, when someone said "I lie 2 times out of 10," observation revealed they actually lied 4 times out of 10.
This study is widely known in society and is accepted as a universal fact.
The Dilemma
Cheolsu is interviewing for a job. The interviewer asks him: "How many times out of 10 do you lie?" The answer must be short and concise, without elaboration.
Cheolsu is well aware of the universal fact above, and assumes the interviewer is too. However, Cheolsu belongs to the 5% in the study who are not typical — the ones who don't exaggerate — and he knows that he lies 3 times out of 10.
So what should Cheolsu say?
- I lie 3 times out of 10. (honesty)
- I lie 1 time out of 10. (lying based on universality)
Should he answer that he lies 3 times out of 10 — because he is a conscientious and honest person — and risk being misunderstood by the interviewer? Or, because he is a conscientious person, should he say 1 time out of 10 based on the universal norm, in order to prevent the interviewer from misunderstanding him?