The Invention of Lying
It's funny how a movie affects you sometimes. Especially when you're in the right frame of mind. Well, I don't know that I want to use the word "right" so much as I don't mean to infer that there is a "correct" frame of mind to watch movies in. Sometimes we watch movies for the pure enjoyment of the escape from this world. Sometimes we watch movies to help us understand the world better. And sometimes we even watch movies simply to make ourselves think. I happen to be in a pretty self-reflective state of mind as of late, so I spent a good portion of The Invention of Lying thinking about implications of this, that or the other... While also enjoying the dry comedy and vast amounts of cameos. lol
So. The idea of God being a lie was intriguing. But it's not all that there is to the implication. Because he doesn't say he made up "the man who lives in the sky". It's like how Jennifer Garner says something to the effect of ... how can you say what wasn't? Or something? That the whole of reality is presented exactly as it's presented on the screen. No inner monologue. No calculations of what to say. No GAMES. Which is probably what got me thinking so hard about this movie since I've spent the last almost week dissecting in my head what the game is that I was apparently playing. lol
Life, due to the fact that it is based on society, is almost entirely a game. Which is due to the fact that people are never exactly quite as they seem. Even those of us who try our hardest to be truthful and honest in every regard are always holding at least a little back because society isn't interested in the bare naked truth of humanity. We all want to be liked. We all want to have our company enjoyed and enjoy the company of others. And some of us are manipulative in the manner that we attain this. I just wonder why. Like, if we were all able to just be open and honest, would there BE any need for manipulation? I don't think so. I think we would all find our own niches in a world such as that. Not that the theory means anything as it can never happen. lol But it's an interesting thing to think about.
What if dating was like how it was in that movie? Seems as though there'd be less "games". It'd be very cut and dry and "I like you" and "you and I are a good genetic match". And yet this idea is disgusting. Why? The game is actually part of the fun, I suppose. The chase. The catch. Can you imagine a world where you can fall in love with someone and say, "i'm sorry, but you're not a good genetic match for me. I hope you'll come to my wedding." Ew. No one ever loves someone the way that a person NEEDS to love someone right in the beginning. It's about the getting to know each other stage. The beginning when you hate something about a person and only grow to find it one of their most endearing qualities. (James's laugh lol). This is only possible due to the game. Because we all have feelings that need to be protected and cultivated by some of the tiniest white lies that can sometimes be way more important than the all-the-time ultimate truths of the world.
What if emotions were practically non-existent as they were in that movie? Like, why is it that the one character was able to say he always disliked Ricky Gervais' character, and yet almost any other emotion was discounted? Why did Jennifer Garner's character admit that she loved Ricky Gervais' character, only to say that that wasn't good enough? Once again, it's the society and shows how greatly society affects us all. And yet, sometimes we can overcome it (by the two of them getting married despite the probability of their fat snub-nosed children lol) and other times we can't. It's just ... crazy. lol
I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. I'm just lost in all sorts of thoughts, I suppose. Feeling pretty philosophical. Which hey, if it helps to (ironically) get me grounded in my own personal reality, then I'll take it. :)
Oh, and I know I meant to talk about God in that movie here... and I got totally side-tracked. lol I guess the point the movie was only on the first sub-level making is that we all like to hear things that put us at ease and make us happy. Like being told that there is a grand place where all our friends and family will be when we die and we will all be eternally happy.... And that there will be limitless ice cream.... unless we do 3 bad things. lol But I think if you dig a little deeper, the movie talks about acting on faith and sometimes stepping out of the status quo to do what simply "feels" right. Jennifer Garner does this by marrying him. He does this by not lying to her to make her feel it'd be okay to marry him. And what is "feeling" right except our internal goodometer aka our souls? I dunno. There's a lot to muddle through there which is probably why I got so easily sidetracked on the whole representation of God in that movie. lol And who knows what this Ricky Gervais fellow was really trying to say? I certainly don't know. I just enjoyed the fact that I can watch a movie and not only be entertained but be made to think as well. It's been a while since that's happened. :)
So. The idea of God being a lie was intriguing. But it's not all that there is to the implication. Because he doesn't say he made up "the man who lives in the sky". It's like how Jennifer Garner says something to the effect of ... how can you say what wasn't? Or something? That the whole of reality is presented exactly as it's presented on the screen. No inner monologue. No calculations of what to say. No GAMES. Which is probably what got me thinking so hard about this movie since I've spent the last almost week dissecting in my head what the game is that I was apparently playing. lol
Life, due to the fact that it is based on society, is almost entirely a game. Which is due to the fact that people are never exactly quite as they seem. Even those of us who try our hardest to be truthful and honest in every regard are always holding at least a little back because society isn't interested in the bare naked truth of humanity. We all want to be liked. We all want to have our company enjoyed and enjoy the company of others. And some of us are manipulative in the manner that we attain this. I just wonder why. Like, if we were all able to just be open and honest, would there BE any need for manipulation? I don't think so. I think we would all find our own niches in a world such as that. Not that the theory means anything as it can never happen. lol But it's an interesting thing to think about.
What if dating was like how it was in that movie? Seems as though there'd be less "games". It'd be very cut and dry and "I like you" and "you and I are a good genetic match". And yet this idea is disgusting. Why? The game is actually part of the fun, I suppose. The chase. The catch. Can you imagine a world where you can fall in love with someone and say, "i'm sorry, but you're not a good genetic match for me. I hope you'll come to my wedding." Ew. No one ever loves someone the way that a person NEEDS to love someone right in the beginning. It's about the getting to know each other stage. The beginning when you hate something about a person and only grow to find it one of their most endearing qualities. (James's laugh lol). This is only possible due to the game. Because we all have feelings that need to be protected and cultivated by some of the tiniest white lies that can sometimes be way more important than the all-the-time ultimate truths of the world.
What if emotions were practically non-existent as they were in that movie? Like, why is it that the one character was able to say he always disliked Ricky Gervais' character, and yet almost any other emotion was discounted? Why did Jennifer Garner's character admit that she loved Ricky Gervais' character, only to say that that wasn't good enough? Once again, it's the society and shows how greatly society affects us all. And yet, sometimes we can overcome it (by the two of them getting married despite the probability of their fat snub-nosed children lol) and other times we can't. It's just ... crazy. lol
I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. I'm just lost in all sorts of thoughts, I suppose. Feeling pretty philosophical. Which hey, if it helps to (ironically) get me grounded in my own personal reality, then I'll take it. :)
Oh, and I know I meant to talk about God in that movie here... and I got totally side-tracked. lol I guess the point the movie was only on the first sub-level making is that we all like to hear things that put us at ease and make us happy. Like being told that there is a grand place where all our friends and family will be when we die and we will all be eternally happy.... And that there will be limitless ice cream.... unless we do 3 bad things. lol But I think if you dig a little deeper, the movie talks about acting on faith and sometimes stepping out of the status quo to do what simply "feels" right. Jennifer Garner does this by marrying him. He does this by not lying to her to make her feel it'd be okay to marry him. And what is "feeling" right except our internal goodometer aka our souls? I dunno. There's a lot to muddle through there which is probably why I got so easily sidetracked on the whole representation of God in that movie. lol And who knows what this Ricky Gervais fellow was really trying to say? I certainly don't know. I just enjoyed the fact that I can watch a movie and not only be entertained but be made to think as well. It's been a while since that's happened. :)