Separating Fact from Fiction (plus 15 Famous American Fibs)

It's becoming harder and harder (it seems) to separate fact from fiction. You watch the network news and they tell you one thing. You listen to talk radio and they tell you another (the opposite). The bottom line is there can't be two truths. So who do you believe?

Well, aside from giving a lie detector (polygraph test), I have come to the conclusion that if we really want to protect ourselves (and our families) from being fooled, we need to do our own research. (It's as simple and hard as that.) We need to not just buy (hook, line and sinker) what others are telling us and find out things and know the truth ourselves.

We can become pretty good at separating fact from fiction through practice. (We can!)

That said, here's a list of...

15 Famous American Fibs:

1. The check is in the mail.
2. I'll start my diet tomorrow.
3. We service what we sell.
4. Give me your number and the doctor will call you right back.
5. Money cheerfully refunded.
6. One size fits all.
7. This offer limited to the first 100 people who call in.
8. Your luggage isn't lost, it's only misplaced.
9. Leave your resume and we'll keep it on file.
10. This hurts me more than it hurts you.
11. I just need five minutes of your time.
12. Your table will be ready in a few minutes.
13. Open wide, it won't hurt a bit.
14. Let's have lunch sometime.
15. It's not the money, it's the principle.

(List from Bits and Pieces, December 9, 1993, pp. 12-13)

You might also be interested in:

• 10 Lies We're Told (plus 1 bonus)
• 7 Ways People Get Fooled