I haven’t read much Vidal since he mostly writes fiction and I’ve never been into popular fiction, however, I recognize his literary genius. I’ve always considered popular fiction, although entertaining, a waste of time except when it’s based on historical fact, which I understand much of Vidal’s work is, so I guess I should give Vidal a go. Especially his works like Lincoln, Julian, and a few others.
I think I’ll first start with his new memoir entitled, “Point to Point Navigation”. The title refers to his experience in the U.S. Navy attempting to navigate the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. He explained that at the time they didn’t have all the modern navigation equipment and the stars, sun, etc. were hidden by consistently foggy conditions or by clouded, overcast skies so they had to use Aleut Indian guides who knew how to navigate from point to point, one island to the next. Hence the title which I suppose refers to how Vidal navigated the waters of life.
The interviewer, Denis Wholey, remarked of the many references in Gore’s book to Michel de Montaigne, a philosopher I love and became acquainted with when I was just seventeen, in the Air Force and stationed in El Paso, Texas. When Wholey mentioned Vidal's frequent reference to Montaigne, Vidal attempted to quote a particular quote from Montaigne’s essay on lying which I am overly familiar with since it was the one Montaigne quote I memorized and have made a guidepost for my life ever since I first read it. Interesting that Vidal should choose that very quote.
Although there are several translations, the one I most recall goes like this: “Verily, lying is an ill and detestable vice. What holds us together as men if not our word? If we knew but the horror and the weight of it we would with fire and sword pursue the same and more justly than any other crime.” That’s paraphrased, and somewhat incorrect I imagine, but close enough. Vidal’s quote was also in the neighborhood, was his own version and, as I recall, not nearly as accurate as mine.
Parroting Montaigne, Vidal mentions that to not lie is the one thing we should teach our children from very early in life; the consequences of lying and that lying will not be tolerated. He remarked that once a child learns to lie and is allowed to develop the vile habit, it stays with them and corrupts their life from then on. They never escape from it. He got that from Montaigne also
Montaigne speaks much more eloquently than Vidal. "I do myself a greater injury in lying than I do him of whom I tell a lie”, writes Montaigne. “Only lying and stubbornness somewhat more, are the faults whose birth and progress I would have severely punished and cut off; for they grow and increase with them: and if the tongue have once gotten this ill-habit, good Lord how hard, nay how impossible it is to make her leave it.”I concur.
Vidal’s reference to Montaigne cinched it for me. I have to get the book just to see how he uses Montaigne to support his views and what he has to say. He’d better not be lying.
After the program I thought about this, about lying and about authors, and about authors who lie, either intentionally or through carelessness and forgetfulness. It made me remember a story that I like to tell about an experience that connects Dr. Wayne Dyer, Robert Frost and Jalaluddin Rumi, the Persian (Iranian) poet from the 13th Century.
Many years ago I was listening to a speech by Wayne Dyer (one of my first spiritual gurus) who many of you may have seen and heard in recent years on PBS/NPT. Dyer, who today I know longer consider as spiritually honest as he once was, referred to a brief poem by Frost called “The Secret Sits”.
“We all dance around in a circle and suppose
While the secret sits in the middle and knows.”
What a cool poem I thought. Very mystical.
Since I had trouble falling to sleep that night I decided to read. I thought, “I’ll read some Montaigne”, but then for some strange reason got a notion to read Rumi instead and imagine my shock while reading the poetry of Jalaluddin Rumi to run across the nearly identical couplet that was written by Rumi around 1250 CE.
Frost, a plagiarist? I’m afraid so, whether from flagrant intent or from a mistaken belief that he himself had created this when in fact he had only remembered it and was perhaps confused over its origin..
Most of us have heard of the whirling dervishes of the Middle East, the Sufi’s, whose religious practice includes dancing in circles, whirling around as they go while verbally spouting their love for God. How they ever keep from getting dizzy and falling down is a wonder.
Most of us wouldn’t know (or perhaps don’t care) that it was Jalaluddin Rumi who was the developer of the whirling dance. He would dance around for hours and while spinning about in a trance he would create poetry. His approach to the muse was particularly unique and his followers wrote the poems down as Rumi composed them. All in all he created thousands of beautiful poems dealing with his love for God and how one should approach God. This is the basis for the Sufi spiritual sect of Islam. Rumi was the guy who conceived it. The poem that Frost plagiarized was a concise reference to the Sufi dance by Rumi. "We all dance around in a circle and suppose" is what Rumi said, not sit as Frost wrote.So, the next time you whirl around the dance floor think of Rumi and the secret that sits in the middle of all existence and knows all that there is to know.
And the next time you tell a lie think of Gore Vidal or of Montaigne and his admonishment about telling lies.
And the next time you read Frost or hear Dyer speak think about how we can't always believe or accept things we are told and about the effect an untruth has on our lives and on those who perpetrate lies.
Then vow that you will use care to always tell the truth as best you know it and not deceive anyone for profit or gain – or for any reason other than to protect someone from emotional suffering or evil intent by others. Only in those limited cases should the truth be compromised – but even then the lie will take its toll because each lie born has a life of its own and will cause others to wrongly accept it and act accordingly. It will necessitate other lies to keep the original lie alive and its originators from being discovered.
It has been said that the truth hurts. Maybe it does often sting, but most of the time it heals, nourishes understanding and grows trust. A lie on the other hand has a ripple effect, It lives on, causing unforeseen damage as one lie requires another to be told to cover for the first. It can snowball and precipitate wrongful actions and lasting injury to everyone who believes it or wields it for advantage and gain. And once discovered it causes more damage by breeding distrust and anger.
Reference the war in Iraq and the lies on top of lies told to Americans and Iraqis alike. How many deaths, crippling injuries, suffering and ruined lives? How many wasted billions of dollars that could have been spent aiding the same people it has destroyed as the lie has been told and retold, modified and added to? A fraction of the wealth gathered and stolen by war profiteers could have produced a ripple effect of life improvement and positive results to the same people it has caused to suffer, to become poisoned with hatred and left with a feeling of complete hopelessness for any semblance of a normal or happy life.
The entire amount of money already wasted on this wrongful war could have insured our social security system for a hundred years, guaranteed our national security, provided healthcare to all Americans, lowered costs and greatly improved our education system, reduced poverty and a caused a positive ripple effect that would be felt for decades to come.
A lie is negative and always produces negative results, harm and suffering. It saddles the fabricators as prisoners and victims of the lie for the life of the lie and beyond. As Montaigne so aptly observes, the liar often injures himself more than the person being lied to or lied about.
The truth by comparison is positive, it sets you free to live honestly and unfettered. It liberates rather than imprisons. It has no equal in its power to produce positive results, to repair and heal. As Al Gore has pointed out on the issue of global warming, the truth may seem inconvienient to those who would profit from a lie but telling the truth is always the right choice.
So all you new parents, like Montaigne and Gore Vidal advise, teach your children to tell the truth while you can.
David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young once pleaded – teach your children well.
You who are on the road
Must have a code
that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past
is just a good bye.
Teach your children well,
Their father's hell
did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked,
the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why,
if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh
and know they love you.
And you, of tender years,
Can't know the fears - that
your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your youth,
They seek the truth
before they can die.
Teach your parents well,
Their children's hell
will slowly go by,
And feed them
on your dreams
The one they picked,
the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why,
if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh
and know they love you
