Truth is always a path that is admired by many people; it is the main reason behind several inventions where people hope that technology will help them unveil some of the hidden mysteries. Despite the desire in people to know the truth, there is little determination within them to look for it. In some instances, truth is usually accompanied by bitter outcomes that it is wished that they never knew it (Benét 62). The fact however remains that there are numerous mysteries that are yet to be unveiled due to the limitations faced by human beings. The origin of lies was efforts by out fore fathers to provide answers to what they did not also know about. It is assumed that an older person has answers to every question and would hence be ridiculous to tell a younger person that you did not now about something. Lying is hence considered to be a wise way to keep the young people from asking certain questions and probably find out the truth for themselves. It is also a way of weighing a person’s ability to believe what they are being told. It so happens that if they do not believe, they will definitely desire to find out more just like the priests son in ‘by the waters of Babylon’. A person who believes what they are told, they may not make an effort to find out more on what they are told.
Lying is a hereditary trait from our ancestors. Every passing generation is obliged to tell their children what they were told by their parents. This is more especially about trends that have remained a mystery. The good or bad thing about such mysteries is that when they are unveiled the ancestors will not be there to be disapproved. It is the determination of subsequent generations that will tell how much mysteries they will unveil (Benét, 25). Despite the number of discoveries that have been made so far, there is usually much more for other generation. This therefore implies that there are more mysteries than can be discovered in a single generation. However much we may need to know everything in an instant, the fact is that we may not be able to handle them. We are made to understand things in bits of which if we were told some truths, we are likely not to believe. In cases where we have believed something to be in a particular way, it would take quite some time with efforts to prove otherwise. Before the son of the priest discovered about the dead city and the gods, he had to endure the epic journey ‘I went fasting, as is the law. My body hurt but not my heart. When the dawn came, I was out of sight of the village. I prayed and purified myself, waiting for a sign (Benét)’. This also required a lot of courage on his part.
Life is interesting because of the discoveries that are made everyday. Whenever we realize that there is a mystery to be unveiled, it gives us the motivation to face life and discover it. If everything was unveiled to us at once, then life would be a big bore as we would not be looking forward to something new. The path towards discovering the truth is an interesting one that makes us feel more knowledgeable and mature ‘That is all of my story, for then I knew he was a man—I knew then that they had been men, neither gods nor demons. It is a great knowledge, hard to tell and believe’ (Benét). Discovering truths is the main thing that distinguishes us from our ancestors. It is also prove that our brain is growing. Just like the priests son, we can live to tell that there were no gods and magic.
Works cited
Benét, V. Stephen. BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON.
Benét, V. Stephen. Stephen Vincent Benét: essays on his life and work. New York: McFarland, 2003
