In the liar’s paradox…
If a person says ‘I am lying’,
and if the person is lying,
then the person is truthful,
which makes him not a liar,
which makes him a liar…
If a person says ‘I am lying’,
and if the person is not lying,
then the person is untruthful,
which makes him a liar,
which makes him not a liar…
In the story is an illustration of the liar’s paradox…
Mahito: He’s (Grey Heron) a liar. So you can’t believe anything he says.
Grey Heron: (rambles)…
Kiriko: A grey heron once told me that all grey herons are liars. So, is that the truth or a lie?
Mahito: A lie!
Grey Heron: A truth! I’d be the one to know. The truth is that all grey herons are liars.
Mahito: That would have to be a lie too.
Grey Heron: Except this lie is true!
Here are some lessons from this comic philosophical squabble…
[1] Investigation: The claim that someone is a liar, and that this simply has be believed has to be investigated for truth too. Those who insist another is always lying might be lying too, to some extent, ‘mindfully’ or not.
[2] Generalisation: The more we habitually generalise about a person or matter, the more specific should we be, as there can be exceptions. Otherwise, we might only be truthful in a vague and general sense; not in the clear and universal sense.
[3] Universality: The more a seemingly universal so-called truth is offered, the more carefully must it be investigated for truthfulness. (Yes, even a broken clock tells the truth twice a day, even if without the intention to do so.)
[4] Contradiction: A self-contradicting statement is not a very useful statement, other than stating the maker of that statement to be self-contradictory, which reminds us to pay more attention to that said and done.
[5] Clarification: When there is a self-contradictory statement shared, this does not always mean it should be looked at in a balanced or neutral way only. This might be when clarification of confusion to take a side is needed most.
[6] Sensibility: The liar’s paradox reminds us that self-referential or even other-judgemental statements, however strongly made, might not make much sense in terms of reality upon deeper scrutiny.
[7] Harmony: There is disharmony within ourselves and/or with others when we contradict ourselves and/or others. The worst disharmony is from unmindfulness of it within, with it seeping out to confuse understanding and erode trust.
[8] Enquiry: When encountering the questionable, there should be questioning. Proper questioning does not arise from wanting to doubt or believe, or wanting to assert one’s view. It arises from wanting to uncover the undisputable truth.
[9] Authority: The more strongly offered an argument is, the more fact-finding there must be. After all, when it comes to how the matter at hand really affects you or not, the final deciding authority is always you.
[10] Assertion: Those contradictory will tend to keep betraying themselves to be so, by repeating or increasing their contradictions to reassert their statements, which do not make what they say any more clear.
When those who usually cry wolf do cry out the truth, they will have to cry it out extra sincerely, clearly and loudly, to prove that they are finally saying the truth then. Those who never cry wolf will not need these extra efforts.
