Joe Hoffmann

Right Speech

Speech-

Over the past week we were told to become aware of our speech patterns, notice when we deviate from the truth or tell a “white lie.”  Throughout the course of the week I have found myself wriggling around the truth and telling white lies quite often.  On the first day after our class was when I noticed my first lie.  I was in the library in my free period with nothing to do.  I knew I shouldn’t go on facebook, and I got a reminder on the wall when I entered the computer area that the computers are not to be used for facebook.  I went ahead with my plans anyway.  I got on a computer and opened a Microsoft Word document the internet browser.  Whenever one of the librarians got up I would minimize facebook.  One of the librarians got up and asked me if I was doing homework, I lied and told her yes.

Reflection-

            I found this lie especially hard to tell because it wasn’t the normal white lie.  This was a face to face serious lie.  When she asked me I couldn’t reply right away, I thought it over in my head for a minute and then said “yes, I am doing homework.”  I obviously told this lie because I didn’t want a demerit, but I found myself feeling guilty after saying it.  It wasn’t like I was avoiding the truth, or weaseling my way around her question, this was a direct lie.  I lied to protect myself from something I knew I shouldn’t have done in the beginning.

 

 

Speech-

            Almost every day on my way home from school my parents will give me a call and ask how my day was, or ask how something went at school that day.  If they don’t call me they will most likely ask me when they get home from work.  On most days I find myself telling them my day was “fine” or it was “ok.”  To get a more elaborate response out of me they have to probe and ask more questions which I reluctantly answer.

Reflection-

            I generally respond in this way when I just don’t feel like talking about my day at school.  In general, school isn’t fun and its not a very exciting topic to talk about.  I feel more inclined to answer fully when they ask me about how my sports are or how some other event went.  Even if I had a bad day I say my day was fine simply because I don’t want to dwell on the subject.  Ever since Mr. Scuito brought up in class how parents really enjoy hearing how your day was and enjoy talking to you I try and give them a better explanation of my day.  I wouldn’t think this falls under any category of lying unless I was under the circumstances one of the doctors explained in Bill Moyer’s, The Public Mind, where a kid did not tell his parents about him getting in trouble that day.  If you get in trouble, not telling your parents is a way of lying to them.  That is something they expect to hear from their child.

 

 

Speech-

            My mom loves to cook, so she is always cooking a big dinner for our family.  I have never been a big fan of cooking but my mom always wants me to help her.  Just the other day she asked me if I would help her cook dinner, and I told her I was busy doing homework.  Now I was sitting down in front of the computer not doing homework, but in fact looking at various websites for different games.

Reflection-

            I lied here because I don’t enjoy cooking and I was more interested in the things I was doing on the computer.  When I think about this I realize how selfish and self centered this is.  I was not doing anything productive and my mom was cooking dinner for me and I was too lazy to go help her.  Of course she didn’t ask me for help anymore once I told her I was doing homework.  It scares me how easily lies come to my mouth these days.  Like they say, after the first lie you tell it gets easier and easier to tell lies.  They become natural and something that begins to not even cross your mind when you do it.  I have realized how naturally lies are beginning to come to me, the right speech experiment helped me notice this and hopefully if I am thinking about my words from now on I can work on not lying.