Eurasian National University
named after L.N. Gumilev
Narmukhametova N.M.
Student Oparina I.I.
National
and cultural peculiarities of lie concept implementation in English language
Theologists,
philosophers and psychologists have been interested in the problem of
verbalisation and definition of structure and content of such notions as
“truth” and “falsehood”. Vivid language which functions in our
communication has become a central
object of scholars’ research works in the end of XX and at the beginning of XXI
centruries.Gumboldt was the first to propose a theory that a human being as a
“language personality” should become a base of all linguistic
investigations. So, recently “truth”
and “lie” concepts gained the status of one of the most important objects in
the theory of language and linguistic culturology.
Can you tell a lie
nonlinguistically?
Lie exists. It is
around us and it is in us. And linguistics is not able to destroy or prevent
lie. It is true, that people tell lie with the help of the language – they tell
deceitful stories and make their speech ambiguous. Lie always relates to
linguistics.
Augustine was the
first to make lie an object of his philosophic research and he was also the
first to see its linguistic aspect. He remninds us that language is given to
exchange our thoughts, not to deceive each other. So the basic – indicative –
function is distorted by the deception.
Matthew L. Newman and James
W. Pennebaker studied the
peculiarities of lie realization in English language. Based
on this research, at least three
language dimensions should be associated with deception: (a) fewer
selfreferences, (b) more negative emotion words, and (c) fewer markers of
cognitive complexity. First, liars used first-person pronouns at a lower
rate than truth-tellers. The lower rate
of self-references is thought to reflect an attempt by liars to “dissociate” themselves
from the lie. Self-references indicate that individuals are being “honest” with
themselves. Because deceptive stories do not reflect one’s true attitudes or
experiences, liars may wish to “stand
back” by investing less of themselves in their words.
Second, liars
also used negative emotion words at a higher rate than truth-tellers. Liars may
feel guilty, either because of their
lie or because of the topic they are lying about. Because of this tension and guilt, liars may express more negative
emotion. In support of this, it was distinguished that liars made disparaging remarks about their
communication partner at a much higher rate than truth-tellers. Zuckerman,
DePaulo, and Rosenthal identified negative statements as a significant marker
of deception. The “negative emotion”
category in LIWC contains a subcategory of “anxiety” words, and it is possible
that anxiety words are more predictive than overall negative emotion.
However, in the present studies,
anxiety words were one of the categories omitted due to low rate of use.
Third, liars used fewer “exclusive” words than
truthtellers, suggesting lower cognitive complexity. A person who uses words such as but, except, and without is
making a distinction between what is in
a given category and what is not within
a category. Telling a false story is a highly cognitively complicated task. Adding information about what did not
happen may require cognitive resources that the typical liar does not possess. Fourth, liars used more
“motion” verbs than truth-tellers, also suggesting lower cognitive complexity. Because liars’ stories
are by definition fabricated, some of their cognitive resources are taken up by the effort of creating a
believable story. Motion verbs (e.g., walk,
go, carry) provide simple,
concrete descriptions and are more readily accessible than words that focus on
evaluations and judgments (e.g., think, believe).
This
particular model is limited to the English language
And,
of course, lying finds its reflection in literature.
William Shakespeare
was the greatest writer who ever lived. In his play Othello, he created
arguably the greatest liar in the history of literature. Iago is a prime
example of someone who lies to punish.
What motivates Iago
to lie is lack of promotion. He is a soldier, and Othello has refused to
elevate him from the rank of ensign to lieutenant. Driven by his rage at being
held down in rank, he decides to revenge himself by lying about Othello's wife,
Desdemona, insinuating that she is having an affair with the lieutenant who has
Iago's desired position.
Iago's rhetorical
task is formidable, for he must prove a negative--usually regarded as an impossibility.
Nevertheless, a skillful liar creates an alternative reality to convince the
dupe that what did not happen did, in fact, occur. The weapons used to wield
deception are trust, reluctance, opportunism, and detail.
Some accomplished
liars in literature who lie primarily to protect themselves include Richard
III, the evil king in Shakespeare's play; Brigid O'Shaughnessy, the femme
fatale of Dashiell Hammett's classic detective novel, The Maltese Falcon; and
Daisy and Tom Buchanan, the decadent rich couple in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The
Great Gatsby.
Richard III opens
the play with a bitter comment about this being the "winter of our
discontent" because, to become king, he has to kill so many others,
including his own brothers. Confronted by one brother, Clarence (who is on his
way to jail because of false charges--lies--lodged by the protagonist), Richard
deftly draws from his quiver an effective weapon for a liar bent on protecting
himself: defamation of others.
Then, there is
Oscar Wilde's essay, "The Decay of Lying," wherein he argues that
lies are so much more satisfying than the truth. Moreover, in his play, The
Importance of Being Earnest, the hero, Algernon, leads a fast and loose life
made possible by lying, an activity the playwright lightly refers to as
"bunburying."
Nineteenth-century poet Matthew Arnold stated that an
education must expose a student to "the best that is known and thought in
the world." Instead, as the century sets, I have become convinced that my
students will best be equipped to deal with the realities of the contemporary
American scene if they are taught about lies, lying, and liars.
Literature
1.
Dr. Reeves “Lies and Literature”
2.
Matthew Newman “Lying Words: Predicting Deception”
3.
P. Roget “Treadury of Word and Phrases”
4.
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