For Steve Bernard's Eyes Only. All Others, Do Not Read.

Steve,

You're becoming habitual.  Your habit is to call me a liar, as publicly as you can.  I confess to being mildly intrigued, even though the accusation is coming from someone with no credibility.  So I have a request, or an invitation.

Please remind me of three lies I have told.  I'm sure you can think of dozens, or maybe hundreds, but I don't want to waste that much of your time.  Three will more than illustrate your point.  And if the pressure to spew them is too great, and you can't possibly confine yourself to three, go ahead with 10, or even 25.  "Knock yourself out," as they say.

As a frame of reference, let me suggest that the fact that you might disagree with me about something does not mean I lied in saying it.  I realize that you so treasure your own thought process that whatever you think seems overpoweringly "true" to you, and you probably can't imagine that anyone wouldn't accept it.  But in the real world, that sometimes happens.  We each think things with which not everyone agrees.  And most of us have enough perspective to understand that the fact that someone disagrees with us doesn't mean they are liars, or stupid, or criminals.  Frighteningly, it doesn't even mean they're wrong!  So try to set that impulse aside.

Also, you might want to keep in mind one of the questions on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, or WAIS, which is the commonly used IQ test.  The question is, "What's the difference between a lie and a mistake?"  And before you blurt out your answer, let me tell you that "there is no difference; they're the same thing" is an incorrect answer.  Intelligent people, including children, are supposed to know that.  So if you could, let's say, demonstrate that something I said was not correct, that doesn't mean I lied.  I hate to give away too much about the WAIS question, but the correct answer is that a mistake is when you say something that is not correct, and a lie is when you intentionally say something that you know is not correct.

So see what you can do.  Flip me a few off the top of the list.  And have full confidence that this is strictly between you and me.  I have clearly instructed all blog readers not to read this very private letter from me to you.  Because you have complete privacy, and so do I, you can respond right into the "Comment" opportunity at the end of this post.

I await.

Fred

PS: Chuck told me about a conversation he had with you recently, when he told you you lie.  As Chuck reported it, you challenged him to tell you any lie he thinks you told.  So if that conversation occurred as reported, it seems to demonstrate that you are familiar with and accepting of the concept of asking someone who accuses you of something to specify what they're talking about.  Go for it.