2018 – 5th Grade National 3rd Place Winner

Kevin Tritschler, New York.

Truth or Deceit?

I think that deceit has a greater impact on society, and definitely not a better one!

For example, in the story “The Empty Pot,” the emperor gives the children roasted seeds and asks them to plant them, because he wants to find a successor to the throne. Whoever grows the most beautiful flower with that seed will be the successor. But all of the children (except Ping) use their own flowers and bring them to the emperor. When they do this, however, they are cheating and lying about the seeds. The emperor really knows that the children could not have grown such beautiful plants because the seed he gave them was cooked. Ping brings an empty pot to the emperor, and explains that it was the best he could do since his seed never grew. So the emperor rewarded Ping for his honesty by making him the successor to the throne. Ping was the only one being honest about the seed. This story is teaching children that cheating can make you lose the very thing you wanted.

Deceit is like a virus, it continues to spread. And even though the truth can contain it, it always finds its way out. When someone lies, they have to say more lies to cover up the original lie. But then they would need even more lies to cover those lies up, and More and MORE lies to cover the other lies up. It never ends, ever! No matter how hard you try, deceit is always revealed, no matter what.

As Benjamin Franklin once said: “Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don’t have the brains enough to be honest.” This means that lies are from people who aren’t smart enough to say the truth, they just want to make a half-baked excuse to get out of something. People think that if they tell lies instead of being honest, they could be let off easily. But most of the time it backfires and they end up having to explain why they lied. Even then they might make even MORE lies to get off easy. If it keeps going on and on, they could be punished for fraud!

Sure, SOME people think they should always tell the truth, and some think they can hide their lies with the truth, but just like a boulder on a mountain, it always stands out. Saying the truth is just the toothpick in the sandwich. To be 100% clean is to say the truth in the first place. We are like fish. Lies are fishing hooks that lure us in with easiness and relaxation. But then they get us into an ABUNDANCE of trouble.

That is why deceit is what controls us. Once we say a lie, we can never stop. We are the only ones who can save us from deceit. In conclusion: DO NOT LIE!

 

 

Kids Philosophy Slam Home Page