9
"You know," said Youth, "you might be right!"
"Will you talk philosophy to these enemies?"
"Well, as you've said, Director, I have a lot to say about it."
"And will you lie about philosophy to them?"
"Do you think that is part of my treatment?"
Director nodded slowly.
"Then I will lie."
"Good. Do you think you will enjoy that?"
"I think I can learn to."
"Now, suppose you're going along with your treatment, and things are going fine, and lo! - you find a friend, a real friend, who wants to talk to you more than you want to talk to him. What then?"
"Well, for starters, I don't lie to him."
"Yes. Now here is a question that may seem odd. When you're talking to the friend and to the enemy, speaking truth and lies, to whom will you have more to say?"
"I don't know. I've never thought about it." He ran a knuckle back and forth across his lips. "The truth is best told straight off, in so many words. But lies are spun out into great big yarns." A look of concern crossed his face. "Do you think I'll have a problem coming up with things to say to friends?"
"Can't you figure out a way to spin yarns out of truth? Surely you've heard that good things bear repeating. Maybe you can just put a slightly different spin on the truth each time you repeat it, put it in a slightly different light. That helps convey the truth in its fullness, after all."
Youth smiled. "I can try to learn how to do that."
"So are you prepared to start trying to work with whomever you find wanting to talk to you?"
"Well, 'prepared' is a stretch - but I will try. But I have a question, Director."
"What is it?"
"I know how to approach a friend. But I've always avoided those I thought were my enemies. How do I approach one, one who wants to talk to me more than I want to talk to him?"
"Think of him as a fish."
"A fish?"
"Yes, you want to get the enemy on the hook. So keep on being excessively polite, and bait your line with morsels of philosophy - not too much, mind you, or you'll scare him off. That can happen no matter how much he wants to talk to you."
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Nick Pappas, pappasnick.typepad.com
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