23. Surviving in the Human Jungle

Topic 23: 9 June 2017 - Surviving the Human Jungle – liars, cheats, thieves, animals in the forest

This topic is a little funny (sometimes!) but it is a good talking subject. We all have experience in “the human jungle”. Here are some questions to start the discussion:

1. What is a story you remember about being cheated?

2. People who tell lies all the time are called “pathological liars”. Describe someone you know about who is a pathological liar (you can change names).

3. Almost everyone tells small, social lies sometimes, like “I am sick today”. These small lies are called “white lies” or “fibs”. How often can you tell fibs without getting a bad reputation?

4. There is a common idea that women lie more than men. Is this true? Why would people say it? Do men and women usually lie about the same kinds of things?

5. The people in some cultures and some countries have a reputation for usually telling the truth. Other culture groups have a reputation for lying often. These differences also exist among different groups and areas of a country, and at different times in history. What do you think causes a lot of lying in a country/culture?

6. Trust depends upon people telling the truth. In some places, only family members are trusted. In other places there is a fair amount of wide social trust in a country. What are the advantages of having wide social trust in a community?

7. We hear bad news all the time on radio, television, in newspapers etc. (bad news sells, good news is boring). Therefore many people become afraid. Actually, if you check the real statistics, most places in the world are much safer than a generation ago. How can we challenge false fears?

8. Coming to a new country, people sometime think they are being cheated. Maybe they just didn’t understand the local laws and customs. Do you know about this happening to anyone in Australia?

9. My mother refused to lock any door in her house for 93 years. (This is common in rural places). The house I live in now has security alarms and many locks. When does too much “security” actually make you a prisoner?.

10. What is the best way to teach children to be honest? (Or do some people teach their children to cheat and lie?).