
Everbody lies: FBI edition - rwbhn
https://www.popehat.com/2017/12/04/everybody-lies-fbi-edition/
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wahern
A big reason why people lie (or misremember or whatever) is because we live in
a culture that distrusts "I don't know" or "I don't recall".

The irony of these lawyerly advice posts is that people who nod their heads in
agreement are willing to admit that they're incapable of keeping their mouth
shut without a lawyer, yet still internalize the cynical belief that people
(politicians, defendants, etc) who respond "I don't recall" while giving
testimony are hiding something.

If people knew how to be actually truthful, saying "I don't recall" or "as
best I recall" or otherwise admitting your own fallibility by qualifying your
answers to pointed questions would come naturally, without needing a lawyer by
your side. Not qualifying your answers to pointed questions would be reserved
for carefully considered strategic moments, i.e. when you're trying to sell
something to somebody, leading a team through a critical juncture, or talking
to your spouse.

Now, admitting to a crime while not realizing you've committed a crime is
another matter entirely. But morally speaking, it's still the right thing to
do, probably just not in the best interest of your family, let alone yourself.
If we were all honest about that we'd spend more time rewarding politicians
who refused to create more crimes and less time talking about how stupid
people are for talking to the police.[1]

[1] See, e.g, [http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-pc-gov-brown-vetoes-
bi...](http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-pc-gov-brown-vetoes-bills-
restricting-hobbyist-drones-at-fires-schools-prisons-20151003-story.html)

    
    
      "Each of these bills creates a new crime -- usually by 
      finding a novel way to characterize and criminalize conduct
      that is already proscribed," [Governor] Brown wrote. "This 
      multiplication and particularization of criminal behavior
      creates increasing complexity without commensurate benefit."
    
      ...
    
      Earlier this year, Brown vetoed bills that would have added
      three new misdemeanors, including vandalism of a redwood
      burl, to the book, also noting the voluminous number of
      crime laws already that already exist.
    

We need more politicians like Governor Brown.

