Truths are lies that work. Lies are truths that don't work.

What does it mean to work? In the end it gives us pleasure. Perhaps it secures us food, builds us a better bomb and makes us feel safer. Perhaps it dazzles our mind. Perhaps it enhances our self-esteem. Perhaps it structures our experience in a pleasant way.

To call truth a lie is to insist on its dynamic nature. The truth changes.

There is nothing white about the truth...It is covered with blood...

Fair comment. I was being a little disingenuous perhaps. OK, I *am* out to persuade. I would like to be on the winning side of the argument.

But, the problem is that by your own criterion you have a bad argument, since the argument for the conclusion that an argument is a good argument only if it persuades seems to persuade no one (I am not sure even you).

The point in this case is motive, I believe. Why do we bother airing our opinions in the first place?

Why we say is related to what we say. It's the same with belief.

We are social animals.

AND
Don't you think motive effects what we decide is true? Do we not tend to believe what we want to believe?

Sometimes, and sometimes not. It depends on how rational we want to be. But, I am afraid that wishful and magical thinking is more pervasive than we would like it to be.

Indeed it is, for possession of the "truth" is usually courage enhancing if it doesn't give one a better gun.

Like God; the truth is a good excuse to kill people... Maybe te truth is that we want to kill others and take what is theirs...

There's more truth in that than most folks like to admit. And this ties in to my criticism of Nietzsche. He raged against the white-wash not noticing that the guns never cease. Where is this sheep-like humanity he rages against?

I don't see much pity out there. Welfare states are largely about the prevention of revolution or the control of public health. And if a majority votes for more bread and circuses, it's not exactly pity.

And how often is the claim of pity the mask of grinning superiority? It was gentle Nietzsche who had a problem with pity. Nietzsche was a brilliant woman who wore a large mustache.

But perhaps it's wishful thinking for us to think we can escape wishful thinking.....

nothing is truly true. Oe cannot prove that something is a fact, facts may exist, but noone has proven the have found one, so in essence, if it isn't true what is it. A lie is something which is proven to not be the truth, but if we cannot concieve of any truths, we cannot concieve lies. Thus a truth is not a white lie as a truth is nothing similar to a white lie. Is nothing the same as nothing,m we cannot concieve nothing so i can't answer this, thus cannot answer the question

I suggest you look up the terms "ironist" and "negative capability" to get an idea of what I mean by "truth is a white lie." You must consider the use of metaphor and irony.