“Lie to Me”
I have recently become invested in FOX’s semi-popular series Lie to Me. The show, while predictable at times, has a very interesting and captivating premise. The main character, Cal Lightman, is a man with the ability to tell when people are lying. He can analyze facial twitches in an instant and determine when someone is not telling the truth. Isn’t this a power we would all like to possess?
What if we did possess the power to tell when others were lying though? What would our social lives and relationships be like? This is one of the most interesting hooks of the entire show. I can’t help but wonder how a real Cal Lightman would function in the world. I would think the power, or ability to tell when people are lying would almost make you feel isolated and ostracized. Worse yet, we might always realize just how much the people around us try and deceive us! Think of how often you tell a white lie…
I almost think that part of the fun of life is the puzzle of it. Trying to figure out which people are trust-worthy and which are not makes life interesting. If this became too easy, I can imagine we might get weary of the world too fast. I almost see this in Lightman’s character. (He is a very depressed, misanthropic man.) After all, isn’t ignorance bliss?
It is an interesting life to ponder. All in all, while I enjoy watching Lightman’s character suffer through his genius, I don’t think I would in fact enjoy the power to detect the truth.
Where is the fun in knowing everything?
Actually, you can learn how to do it!
ReplyDeleteThe show is based on Paul Ekman's research and on his website he offers a training where you can learn those micro-expressions that will help you determine if someone lies or not. They also give a warning that the effect can not be reversed and that you should think thoroughly if you really wanna know.
Here's his website: http://www.paulekman.com/