Lies, Dishonesty, and the Mirage of Modernity
Lies, Dishonesty, and the Mirage of Modernity Author: Gouya Roshan (Güya Aydın ) When I was young, I thought rumors, lies, slanders, and most deceptions were rooted in the Middle East. I thought perhaps these pains were the result of cultural poverty, dictatorships, or decayed traditions. I imagined that in advanced societies there was no place for gossip, slander, and deceit. Perhaps people there were far from lies and immorality; perhaps men there were kinder, more honest, and more responsible. But alas... Time passed, I migrated, I saw, I touched, and I understood. The truth was nothing but this: lies know no geographical borders. Rumors are not bound by religion or race. Dishonesty and immorality are universal. In the West, lies are told with a smile. Rumors are spread behind the mask of diplomacy. Slanders are hidden within legal contracts. People who seem polite quietly destroy one another’s dignity. And the men I thought might be nobler leave even deeper wounds—not with fi...