But alas...I have been assigned to a court case and I have yet to be dismissed. Voir Dire is yet to start.... so, here I am waiting....sitting....and waiting some more.
According to the court, we are the privileged few that should be thrilled to participate in the "process". As I have served on several juries in the past, I have had this particular thrill before. What is a little different about this jury is the pay. OK, so I am supposed to be feeling privileged and not thinking about how to spend my $10.00 a day. Kansas deems this amount sufficient to pay for our impartial opinions, I guess. Maybe my opinion is not worth more than that...we will see.
NOTE: Turns out this is pretty normal among the U.S. court systems (if you are curious as to what your state pays it's jurors. you can click here) The last time I was on a jury we lived in Texas. In Texas my valued opinion was worth $40.00 a day. As to how valuable my opinion is, .....every jury I have served on ended in a guilty verdict. Perhaps some of the parties involved in those trials might not think my opinion is worth even a ten dollar bill but I would guess maybe some prosecutors loved my opinion.
Anyway... As to the point of today's post.... Anytime you are privileged enough to serve on a jury, you see that there there are varying degrees of liars. Yes....they range from totally awful to awesomely perfect. The ability to lie WELL, takes some talent.
Thought number One: Skilled Liars
Anyone that hangs around a courtroom will realize in short order, there are a lot of varying shades of the truth. Yep, every time I serve on a jury, I realize that there are a lot of people that are spectacular liars. They don't flinch, they don't hesitate and they look you square in the eyes while they make up some outrageous reason why something happened. Don't assume for a minute that I think these pathological fibbers are limited to the people on trial. No sirree...there are some seriously creative bullshitters among the lawyers and jurors, as well.
At the moment, I can't discuss my current jury duties but once I was on a jury in St. Louis where the prosecutor asked a prospective juror if she had any bias against drug dealers. WELL...she replied some mumbo- jumbo crap about how she could be unbiased and fair. While I didn't stand up and yell " Lady, you are a lying bitch!!!" I might of thought it because:A. Aren't most people biased against illegal drug dealers ?
B. This particular woman was married to a St. Louis City policeman. And...yes...she was picked for the trial. Score one for the prosecution.
Thought Number Two: Is lying so ingrained in our society, that it has become expected and/or required?
I am sure the people on trial here today would shout out a resounding "Hell yes!" Assuming those on trial today have anything to hide, they surely hope that their lawyer's version of the events and their own fabrications are flawless and believable. BUT.... even without jail time on the line, aren't there times that just demand we "rework" the truth?
Is there an honest way to answer a question when you are cornered by someone seeking an endorsement..assuming, of course, that there isn't a prayer that you can in good conscious can say something positive without choking on your own bile or worse yet laughing hysterically. For example: When a friend asks if you think she looks 60. (Luckily, I have some first hand experience on this one...I escaped lying because I think she looks at least 70... So a hearty "NO you don't look 60 was said with the utmost sincerity. But while I recognize that may be a lie of omission, at least I didn't choke or laugh.)
I would go so far as to say a lot of occupations require us to become proficient liars. I have yet to hear an attorney stand up today and say..."Sure my client is guilty as sin but you need to find him/her innocent because he/she is such a great person. While, the lawyer would of gained a nod for his honesty, I doubt that would of done any favors for his client. (Oh wait a minute...he probably is still lying because how great can his client be if he is guilty?) Frankly, if I ever need a lawyer I want one that is so convincing, that people trust that every word he speaks is 100 percent gospel.
Who am I to judge as far as professional lying goes? As a Realtor, I surround myself with people that are stomping on the fine lines between fact and fiction everyday. There is a whole language devoted to real estate half-truths.
Quaint = Old
Cozy = Small
Charming = Old and Small
Convenient Location = Noisy with possible bus stop in your front yard
Unique = Floor plan makes absolutely no sense
Needs TLC = Dump
Just last night, I was watching a "house hunters" show, where the real estate agent was pointing out some cracks in a wall and told the poor, naive buyers that they were settlement cracks. Total lie. The cracks were slightly less in size than the Grand Canyon. More like Bryce Canyon, really.
So it seems there is some serious lying going on in the workplace. Even Dilbert recognizes that lying is to be reckoned with.
Who am I to judge as far as professional lying goes? As a Realtor, I surround myself with people that are stomping on the fine lines between fact and fiction everyday. There is a whole language devoted to real estate half-truths.
Quaint = Old
Cozy = Small
Charming = Old and Small
Convenient Location = Noisy with possible bus stop in your front yard
Unique = Floor plan makes absolutely no sense
Needs TLC = Dump
Just last night, I was watching a "house hunters" show, where the real estate agent was pointing out some cracks in a wall and told the poor, naive buyers that they were settlement cracks. Total lie. The cracks were slightly less in size than the Grand Canyon. More like Bryce Canyon, really.
So it seems there is some serious lying going on in the workplace. Even Dilbert recognizes that lying is to be reckoned with.
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