Practical Diplomacy, Friday, March 3, 2017
Today, they met in a regular classroom, with one small difference: each desk had been pointed towards another desk, creating pairs.
"Today, we shall talk about lying," Obi-Wan said, "Which is a terrible sin one should never engage in, of course."
"And he said that with a straight face," Anakin said, "which tells you just how often he's lied to a crowd."
Obi-Wan ignored him. "However, sometimes, there may be reasons why you cannot speak the truth. Perhaps because it will anger your hosts, or make matters worse. In those cases, one must know how to speak... carefully."
Anakin nodded. "Without people realizing immediately that you're not telling them the truth."
"The trick lies in never telling a genuine lie," Obi-Wan said. "Always ensure that whatever you say has a kernel of truth to it."
"Say, for instance, your negotiations were pointless, long, and ended in a shouting match," Anakin said. "Seize on the part where no one actually died and praise them for being honest, open, and peaceful."
"To practice, today, we would like you to team up," Obi-Wan said lightly. "We will give one of you an opening question to begin with. Assume the answer to it is 'yes', but you cannot say so. The rest is up to you."
"Today, we shall talk about lying," Obi-Wan said, "Which is a terrible sin one should never engage in, of course."
"And he said that with a straight face," Anakin said, "which tells you just how often he's lied to a crowd."
Obi-Wan ignored him. "However, sometimes, there may be reasons why you cannot speak the truth. Perhaps because it will anger your hosts, or make matters worse. In those cases, one must know how to speak... carefully."
Anakin nodded. "Without people realizing immediately that you're not telling them the truth."
"The trick lies in never telling a genuine lie," Obi-Wan said. "Always ensure that whatever you say has a kernel of truth to it."
"Say, for instance, your negotiations were pointless, long, and ended in a shouting match," Anakin said. "Seize on the part where no one actually died and praise them for being honest, open, and peaceful."
"To practice, today, we would like you to team up," Obi-Wan said lightly. "We will give one of you an opening question to begin with. Assume the answer to it is 'yes', but you cannot say so. The rest is up to you."