How do you suppose invention of ‘truth machine’ would affect you?

By David McElroy · April 15, 2012

How would you feel if you knew you couldn’t hide the truth about anything? What if you knew that the complete truth would always come out — about your actions, words and even thoughts? How would it change the way you live your life?

I’ve been reading a fascinating book called “Consciousness Beyond Life,” about so-called “near-death experiences.” One of the most commonly reported events from a near-death experience is a life review in which a person relives everything he’s ever done or thought. Here’s how Dr. Pim van Lommel explains what he found in the patients he interviewed:

“People know their own and others’ past thoughts and feelings because they have a connection with the memories and emotions of others. During the life review people experience the effects of their thoughts, words and actions on other people when they originally occurred, and they also get a sense of whether love has been shared or withheld. Although this can be extremely confrontational, nobody feels judged: people understand how they lived their life and how this affected others.”

I didn’t like the way that struck me, because I quickly realized that there were times when I haven’t been as honest with others as I’d like to be — especially about feelings and thoughts. So I wondered how I would feel if that were true. What would I feel if everyone one day knew every little thought or feeling I’d had about them? How would I feel if every little “white lie” I’ve told were exposed? How would I feel if there were no secrets about my thoughts or feelings?

The thought reminded me of a 1996 science fiction novel called “The Truth Machine.” The premise is that a perfect lie detector is invented — the truth machine. It’s first used for criminal justice, then for job interviews and then finally everyone is wearing them everywhere. All of a sudden, it’s not possible to lie, because lies are instantly exposed.

I like to think of myself as an honest person, but the thought of that much honesty scares me. It actually seems as though it would be a better world in the long run — after we got past the initial shock of knowing what everyone really thought of us. Even though I intellectually think it would be good — and even though I piously try to stand for the virtue of truth with others — it still terrifies me.

And as I think about how it makes me feel, I realize with an uncomfortable shock that I feel this way because I don’t feel as though I’m honest enough. It makes me feel terrified to think about a world in which anybody could know the truth about me — especially of my thoughts and feelings.

It reminded me of a song called “No One Will Have a Secret” by a Christian group called the 2nd Chapter of Acts from about 30 years ago. It’s talking about the days after the end of this world when we know God:

No one will have any secret
No one will tell any lie
Things that were done in hiding
Are gonna reach to the highest sky

So imagine a world like that for a moment, whether you want to see it as a science fiction future or a time in the afterlife. Imagine a place where everyone knows everything you’ve ever done or said or thought or felt. Would it be a relief? Or does the thought of people knowing that much truth about you make you queasy?

However it made you feel, what does it tell you about the way you’re living life right now? Are you being honest with those you love? Are you being open enough with your thoughts and feelings? Or do your hidden thoughts and feelings mean that you’re living a lie?

I don’t like the way it makes me feel. If she’s going to know that I felt that — and didn’t tell her — what will she think of me? If he’s going to find out that I wasn’t completely honest about that other situation, will I feel ashamed of myself?

When I do this as a thought experiment, it doesn’t uncover serious dishonesty in my life, but it makes me uncomfortable, because it forces me to realize that I do shade the truth a bit in my favor at times and I do hide things that aren’t quite favorable to me and I do avoid telling people things that sometimes need to be said. I realize we all do those things at times, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling that maybe I might give myself a bit too much credit for being as honest as I’d like.

So what if people knew your real thoughts and feelings? Would it change the situations of your life? Would you have to confess to somebody that you’re living a lie? Would you have to confess something to a spouse or a boss or a friend? Would you have to make changes to your life if people knew the truth?

I’m glad there’s not a truth machine, but the fact that I’m relieved it doesn’t exist tells me more than I’d really like to know about whether I’ve been as truthful with others as I sometimes think I am. How about you?

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I’m seeing a lot of simplistic and dishonest explanations right now for the current rioting in France. Those on the populist far right claim it’s all about Muslim immigrants to France disrupting the culture. Their message is that this sort of thing is going to happen in the U.S. unless “we defend the border.” On the far left, socialists and their fellow travelers claim the riots are all about wealthy people in France not paying enough taxes, resulting in cuts to government services. The truth is far more complicated, but it’s rooted in the decline of population growth in Europe. There simply aren’t enough young workers paying into the tax system anymore, so cuts in social services were inevitable. There is genuine cultural tension as more and more people immigrate from other countries, but government cuts to education and other services are even more important to what’s happening. The situation is complicated, so don’t let dishonest people with U.S. political agendas tell you that it happens to support whatever they were already promoting for partisan reasons.

Here’s another reason to appreciate the cats in your life: New research involving 93 countries found that places with more cats per person also tended to have happier people. The researchers say the finding fits with previous evidence that living with pets can reduce loneliness and stress while providing companionship, emotional attachment and social support. The study doesn’t prove that cats cause greater happiness, but it certainly adds to the evidence that sharing your home — and your life — with a cat might be good for you.

The company that owns Facebook and Instagram is heavily promoting its new AI-based software assistant called Muse, but people who are using it as it was designed are incredibly foolish. An early adopter of the software discovered that a few days ago when he advertised an item for sale on Facebook Marketplace — and he inadvertently gave Muse full authority to act on his behalf. The software agreed to a lowball offer made by another Facebook user and then gave that man the home address of the man for whom he was an agent. The software told the buyer that the seller was home and waiting for him. When the buyer showed up and waited angrily, the would-be buyer left an angry review for the man. And this angry man had the seller’s home address. It was only well after that that the software reported what it had done and admitted it had made a mistake. I won’t be putting that much power into the hands of any software. I think anyone who agrees to such terms is a fool. And the software’s user agreement says you’re responsible for purchases the software makes in your name. Nope.

Meet my new girlfriend. Her name is Meg. And she’s my little sweetheart. A couple of months ago, a neighbor across the street told me about a new stray in the neighborhood that she and I were both soon feeding. The cat had been very skittish about contact and she had a lot of scabs and parasites in her fur, but a trip to the vet last week revealed that she was otherwise in good health. The vet estimates her to be 1 to 2 years old. I named her for Meg Murry, the 13-year-old protagonist of Madeleine L’Engle’s wonderful book, “A Wrinkle in Time.” (Please read the book. Don’t watch the horrible movie.) Since we lost Lucy almost a year ago, it seems appropriate that we finally have a new little girl to join the household. She’s already captured my heart, but Alex, Oliver and Sam aren’t there quite yet.

There’s nothing socially acceptable that’s as dangerous as drinking alcohol. Most people grow up being told to “drink responsibly” — and all of us see people abusing this drug in one way or another — but the truth is that drinking alcohol is always a terrible risk. The alcohol in these drinks is toxic and the human liver has to work hard to filter the toxins out. What most people don’t realize is that alcohol is classified as a known carcinogen by the World Health Organization — because of the well-established connection between imbibing and various cancers. Many people have taken refuge behind the idea that light or moderate drinking might be safe, but a new study shows that drinking even one drink a day increases the risks of 10 types of cancer. When I was a teen-ager, I looked around and saw the negative effects that this behavior had on a lot of people and decided not to start drinking, so I’ve never even tried this poison. The evidence keeps piling up that I was lucky to have come to that conclusion early.

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