Honesty vs. Lies Grounded in Universality
When society presumes lies as a statistical baseline, what answer should an honest person give — a dilemma unfolding atop a constructed assumption.
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The research described in the assumption below is not factual. I have fabricated it to explain the core of this essay, and I develop the story within a society based on this assumption.
Assumption
A research result was published showing that humans have a universal tendency to hide their weaknesses.
When test subjects were asked "Out of 10 times, how many times do you lie?", the result was that 95% of test subjects actually exaggerated by 2 or more times compared to what they reported.
For example, when someone said "I lie 2 times out of 10," observation revealed they actually lied 4 times out of 10.
This research is widely known in society and accepted as a universal truth.
The Dilemma
Chulsu goes to a job interview for employment. The interviewer asks Chulsu, "Out of 10 times, how many times do you lie?" The answer must be short and concise without elaboration.
Chulsu knows well the universal truth above and assumes the interviewer knows it too. But Chulsu is one of the 5% — an atypical person who doesn't exaggerate — and he knows he actually lies 3 times out of 10.
What should Chulsu answer in this case?
- I lie 3 times out of 10. (Honesty)
- I lie 1 time out of 10. (A lie grounded in universality)
Should I, being a conscientious and honest person, answer that I lie 3 times out of 10, inviting the interviewer's misunderstanding? Or should I, though conscientious, lie based on universality and say I lie 1 time out of 10 to prevent the interviewer's misunderstanding?