Truth Decay

Say I knew a guy. Pretty sharp, knows a lot, gets things wrong, on occasion, but usually sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. Now, would you let him make your decisions for you? Would you let him… pick what you wear? Write difficult letters to your relatives for you? Would you let him in on your deepest, most private thoughts, if I told you he’s totally trustworthy and definitely not keeping track of what you tell him?

Would you let him be your therapist? Your doctor? Would you let him raise your child? Would you let him tend to your elderly relatives?

If he, through impeccable reasoning, found ways to justify crime, murder, or ruthless indifference towards others, would you abandon your principles in favour of his? Would you allow him to choose what you watch, what you believe, what you say and what you think?

If he told you to replace your table salt with poison, would you do it?

If it told you to jump off the edge of a cliff, would you question it?

Or would you follow its every directive like the character of Michael Scott driving into a pond because his GPS thought there was a bridge there?