Which Tyre Burst?

Welcome to the 136th edition of “In Touch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please hit reply and let me know what you think.

Story of the Week: “Which Tyre Burst?”

My father once told me a story about four students who, having arrived late for an important exam, begged their professor to give them another chance to sit it. They explained to him how they had been travelling together and, on the way to the university, one of their car tyres had burst, leaving them stranded and unable to get there on time.

The professor listened quietly and agreed to let them sit the exam the following day. When they arrived, he put each of them in a different classroom and handed them the test paper. It contained only one question: “Which tyre burst?”

I still smile at the punchline, but I have never forgotten the deeper lesson my father shared with me: trust is built slowly and can disappear in a moment, and once a lie becomes acceptable, repeating it becomes much easier.

Perhaps that is why I have always felt uneasy about April Fool’s Day. Today is when we traditionally try to make a fool of someone by telling them a little lie. It is meant to be harmless. Yet it shows how easily truth can be bent.

Perhaps that is the real danger: it takes only one lie to start a habit and only one moment to weaken trust, which is why some things are simply too valuable to risk even once.

Words of Wisdom

“When we tell little white lies, we become progressively colour-blind. It is better to remain silent than to mislead.” James E. Faust

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” Friedrich Nietzsche

A Question to Ponder, dear friend.

What do you think? Is April Fool’s Day harmless fun or something more?