2018 – 6th Grade National 4th Place Winner

Ethan Tyrrell, Colorado.

truth
trooTH
noun
The quality or state of being true.
Reality, sincerity, candor, honesty

deceit
de’set/
noun
The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

Within the deepest part of our mind lies a collection of truth and lies, some permanently imprinted, some forgotten, as if they drifted away with the wind. The connotation of deceit is generally negative, although a positive impact can lie within it. Deceit is not our default setting and cheating is not the norm. They are hurtful, and evil, but they often open the door to endless outcomes. As humans, we often tell lies and sometimes those lies become the norm, our own truth. They are transformed, sometimes on purpose and sometimes without thinking.

Around the 15th century, a letter written by Publius Lentulus, claimed that Jesus was white. This was perpetuated with paintings and stories for years to come. Scientific evidence tells us that in fact, Jesus had a darker skin tone and because of where he lived, was likely not white. This was not necessarily bad, as the disagreement potentially shaped the way of many cultures around the world. Dig deep enough in any story and a lie can almost always be detected, from readings to campaigns, to the daily news.

World War II changed the lives of missions around the world, all because of a fraud. Hitler stated that there was something “wrong” with Jews. He made people believe there was a certain “standard” for humans—to be Aryan, blonde hair, or brown hair, and blue eyes. He convinced people that Jews were different and unimportant. This line of thinking changed history all because of one thing, deceit. According to the average citizen, nothing like this would ever happen these days, although that statement is completely untrue. Recently, all over the world, there have been acts of violence committed by individuals who believe in white supremacy and new generations of children and adults are being brainwashed.

The world would be such a different place if truth were the ultimate benchmark, given the fact that our world runs on a combination of truth and deceit. Not everything in news stories is necessarily tue or fact based. Some of it is based on opinions, which can be shaped off truth and deceit. When you hear something on the news or read it on the internet, it’s up to you to dig a little deeper to discover where the truth lies.

No man is the same after being told a lie. The lie is like a drop of brown food coloring put into water, overcoming the elegance and simplicity of the water. It spreads and forever colors what comes after. It can befuddle one’s mind along with the mind of others as it builds a web that carries on through life.

Truth and deceit coexist. They color our reality, intermingled as if one becomes the other. As Vladimir Lenin once said, “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”

 

 

 

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