OPINION } from Images May Disturb You, the Blog of Georgia Mason, entry #2

[choosetruth]

If there's one thing I've learned about Wonderland in the weeks that I've been forced to start calling it home: it's that it lies to you.

But so do lots of people, right? Everyone has a reason to lie. Some people lie to hurt other people, but some people lie out of kindness. Some people try to protect you with comforting falsehoods. How do we know that Wonderland isn't lying for our own good?

I can't tell you that. I don't know Wonderland's motivations, if there even is any sort of guiding intelligence behind it and not just pure chance.

What I can tell you is this: it doesn't matter. Lying out of kindness is just as bad as lying out of cruelty. Possibly even worse. Comforting falsehoods might be nicer in the moment than cruel truths, but I'll take the truth every time. Is it better to spare a family by telling them their dying child might get better? Or to allow them to cherish the time they have left? Is it better to tell someone their writing is good? Or send them an honest critique that could let them actually improve until you could say so without it being a lie?

Is it better to lose the memories that have hurt you and spend a weekend in blissful ignorance? Or hold onto every iota of the pain that has built you and remember exactly why you fight? Lies won't take the time to heal you. Only the truth can do that.

Wonderland is the biggest lie I've ever seen. I cannot promise a way out of this gilded, wonderful cage. That would be a lie, even if it's one I'd like to believe. I can only promise that I'll do everything I can to find the truth all of those lies are working at concealing. I won't quit until I uncover all the secrets Wonderland is hiding.

Or until Wonderland gets tired of all the prodding and sends me home. Here's hoping, right?

Comments

[choosetruth]

You really think the two are mutually exclusive?

[allaboutme]

i think getting everyone to believe in this stuff would be a full time job, so yeah

[choosetruth]

Admittedly, in my world by now everyone either believes zombies are a thing or has been turned into one, but getting evidence usually involves facing down monsters in my experience, and that usually means fighting them. And we're not big on letting them shamble away if there's any other choice.

[allaboutme]

oh trust me. no one's shambling off on our watch.

i mean, unless they didn't do anything wrong.

[choosetruth]

I can't speak for whatever nasties your world has, but if they're zombies? They either did something wrong or they're about to. Not really any other way that goes.

[allaboutme]

i've just learned not to judge an undead by its cover. usually.

[choosetruth]

There've been people who took that attitude with zombies in the past. They generally end up zombies themselves.

[allaboutme]

well i'm not saying be a DUMBASS about it

[choosetruth]

Good. Some people lose all sense when they come across something mindless and dead that looks like someone they love.

[allaboutme]

yeah dont worry

i'd kill my own best friend if he went evil. and he knows it.

[choosetruth]

Good. You might actually survive a zombie outbreak.


[She doesn't think that about everyone here. Too many people with pre-Rising sensibilities.]

[allaboutme]

it'll take a lot more than a zombie to bring down cordelia chase