What happens if we say something untrue, but genuinely believe what we’re communicating is true? What if we want something to be true so badly, that we block out doubts, contradictory evidence, and inconvenient facts? When this occurs, we enter that fascinating territory between lying and deceiving ourselves.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LYING
When a person lies, they intentionally communicate something they know to be untrue in order to get someone else to believe it is true. So, if you tell a co-worker, “The office is closed today, because you sincerely, but incorrectly, believe it is closed, you are wrong, but not lying. But suppose you weren’t really certain. Suppose you heard a rumor but didn’t check it out, and announced, “The office is closed,” because you wanted a day off. Now things get messy. Communication ethics isn’t only about whether a statement turns out to be true. It also depends on what you knew, suspected, ignored, and represented to others as a certainty.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SELF-DECEPTION
Sometimes, the person we deceive is ourselves. We’re remarkably good at believing what we want to believe. We have a confirmation bias, making it possible for us to communicate a questionable claim with absolute confidence.
THE ELIZABETH HOLMES SITUATION
The rise and fall of Theranos founder, Elizabeth Holmes, presents a dramatic case for thinking about this distinction. Holmes promoted a revolutionary vision for blood testing. The company failed to deliver on her promise. In 2022, she was convicted of fraud involving investors. Her story and the recent documentary about her, raises a question that goes beyond the legal verdict: To what extent was Holmes convinced of her own narrative? Does believing your own story excuse misleading others? Doesn’t the ignoring of contradictory evidence and labeling bad results as temporary setbacks, only serve to widen the gulf between belief and reality? Here’s the truth: confidence is not a shortcut for credibility. Confidence tells us only about the speaker. It doesn’t tell us if what the speaker is asserting is true. You will do well to keep this distinction in mind. Our ethical obligation is not merely to tell others what we believe. It is to have the courage to ask whether we should believe it ourselves.
ACTION PLAY
Come up with an answer: If you strongly believe something is true, what responsibility do you have to look for and present evidence that you may be wrong?
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