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’ve been making some changes to the site lately and there are more changes coming in the days ahead, so don’t be surprised if you some small differences. This is not a wholesale redesign, but rather the addition of some features. Since they’re smarter than I am, I’ve put Oliver and Alex in charge of the technical work, which you can see in this action photo from the control room of our media complex. I recently added a series of landing pages for readers who randomly discover the site from an Internet search. I’ve also changed the YouTube link at the top of the page to go to the new YouTube channel for video essays that reflect things I’ve already published here. (Here’s a little bit about both of the YouTube channels I’m working on.) In addition, I’m trying to move away from using Instagram, so I’m experimenting with photo plug-ins that will eventually allow me to host the pictures — cats, dogs, sunsets, whatever — that I often take. So don’t be surprised to see more changes. Thanks for your patience. Let’s hope Alex and Oliver know what they’re doing.

I have no use for the theocratic and repressive government of Iran. The people who run the country are cruel at best and evil at worst. The Iranian people deserve freedom. But I have no personal quarrel with anybody in Iran. While I’m not thrilled about a future Iranian government having nuclear weapons, I’m just as concerned about nukes in the hands of politicians in Israel, Pakistan, India, China and Russia. I’m not even thrilled with the U.S., Britain and France having them, either, because I don’t trust any politicians to be responsible with such terrible weapons. All I can say with certainty is that American taxpayers have no business attacking Iran, especially since we’re being forced to pay for this attack in order to benefit the politicians of Israel — and nobody else. If Middle Eastern countries want to fight among themselves, that’s none of my business. It’s not the business of the U.S. government, either. I have no quarrel with anybody in Iran — and having the government which claims to represent me launch an unprovoked attack against a sovereign country will only make all Americans less safe in the near future. This attack is poorly conceived and morally unjustified. Remember that when the Iranians launch attacks that we will then condemn as “terrorism.” What the U.S. is doing right now looks like terrorism to me. And let’s not forget that the attack is the latest in a long line of unconstitutional wars by various U.S. presidents — who have no legal power to declare war on their own, according to the U.S. Constitution.

A child having a tantrum understands only one thing: Did I get my way or not? He doesn’t understand the issues involved. He doesn’t understand the reasons that went into a decision. He doesn’t understand any of the things that mature and reasonable adults have to understand in order to live healthy lives. By his reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down his disastrous tariff scheme, Donald Trump shows himself to be — once more — a screaming child having a tantrum. Outside the world of mob bosses who expect to get their way every time, normal adults don’t act this way, but Trump isn’t normal. He’s an angry and vengeful man who has narcissistic personality disorder. And we are in danger as a result. Trump doesn’t understand the legal issues involved in this ruling. He doesn’t understand economics. He doesn’t understand rule of law. He doesn’t understand that he can ever be wrong. All he understands is that he didn’t get his way. And he is now a narcissistic and raging little boy who also happens to hold life-and-death power over most humans on this planet. He’s dangerous — and the system which gives him that power is even more dangerous.

Is it an attempt to blur the gender line between men and women? Or is it some weird tribute to the traditional Scottish kilt? It’s hard to say, but fashion designers keep pushing for men to wear skirts in the last few years. Both men and women in modern fashion seem oddly androgynous, as though it would be offensive for a man to look manly or for a woman to look feminine. A CNN article about the latest fashions from Paris caught my attention Monday and left me wondering about the ugly clothes the designers are hawking. If a man wants to wear a skirt — or a kilt — that’s OK with me, but I’ll stick with a traditional dark suit with a white shirt and tie. (Well, when I’m not wearing t-shirts and sweats, of course.) I always wonder who actually buys the outlandish garb from fashion designers anyway. I would be humiliated to be seen in any of this stuff, but I obviously have no sense of high fashion.

If you have problems with high blood pressure, I’d like to encourage you to consider making serious changes to your diet. There might be some people who don’t have any choice but to start taking prescription medications for high blood pressure, but I’d like to tell you that I have completely eliminated my issue by eliminating all sugar and almost all carbohydrates. (A couple of months ago, my blood pressure hit 185/144, which was dangerously high — considered stage 3 hypertension.) By completely changing my eating habits, I’m down 22 pounds and my blood pressure is now in the “ideal” range — without taking any medication. In addition, I sleep better and I have more energy. Getting away from the sugar-laden mess that we generally refer to as “highly processed food” has been a life-changer for me. Now my challenge is to avoid slipping back into old habits — by eating in the dangerous ways that almost everyone in our society has come to see as normal.

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