I’ve heard it said that, “Art is a mirror of society.” I’ve also heard it said that “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it” (Bertolt Brecht.) Either way, the arts have the ability to make us confront the public and private lies we tell one another.

Over 130 years ago, a famous Norwegian playwright by the name of Henrik Ibsen published a series of five plays exploring the moral and ethical dilemmas of modern society and public and political life. One of these plays is called, An Enemy of the People. At the center of this story is Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a public official in charge of government run public health baths that turn out to be toxic and contaminated.

Dr. Stockmann decides to blow the whistle on the government’s corrupt practices and inform the townspeople of the truth. He enlists the help of Hovstad, the local newspaper editor, and Aslaksen, the printer. Both who initially want nothing more than to expose government corruption and dethrone the privileged class. The Mayor of the town, who happens to be Dr. Stockmann’s brother, tries to convince him not to go public.

If the baths have to be repaired or shut down it will mean dire economical consequences for the government and the town. But Dr. Stockmann is a man of principle and he believes the townspeople not only deserve to know the truth but, will be grateful to know the potential danger they face with the polluted waters. But the newspaper editor changes his mind and decides to side with the Mayor to blur the truth for greater economical gain.

However, Dr. Stockmann persists in his mission and holds a town meeting to break the news. After which, the townspeople are surprisingly enraged with him for saying such things and eventually vandalize the doctor’s house, fire his daughter from her position as a local school teacher, and ostracize him and his entire family from society.

In my short life I have lived in five different countries on four continents amidst a variety of cultures and subcultures. Now, I’m living in Nigeria. One thing (amongst many) that seems universally true thus far is this: People lie.

It is a fact of life. We tell others what they need to hear in order to make a particular context work to our advantage. The consequence of our habitual lying is that individuals, communities, institutions, and societies suffer. It happens across a spectrum of circumstances to varying degrees. Some possible imagined scenarios include the following:

At a public convention, “I wrote the speech.”During an interview, “I did not knowingly allocate any of the monies into my personal accounts.” At work, a colleague may say, “Yes, I’ve practically finished with that assignment” while inwardly groaning, knowing they now have to stay up late into the night to start and then finish the assignment. Most likely the final product of the rushed job will not be in the company’s best interest.

In a promising new relationship, when you suddenly find it challenging to reach your supposedly single man, and ask him where he’s been hiding. He might sorrowfully tell you, “Sorry, it’s a little complicated cause I’m just coming out of something.” When all he’s really “just coming out of” on a regular basis is umm, pardon my French, his wife.

Sometimes the lies are more than emotionally deadly. The (non black American) policeman says, “He (black man) reached into his pocket when I asked him for his license, and I thought he was getting a gun so I had to shoot him.” Five times. At close range.

Sometimes the lie takes a while to reveal itself. You hire a new person with an impressive resume for a position in top management. Only to discover that they may have indeed worked at Random Big Business Company and had 8 years experience, but actually only because their uncle hired them. Not because they were actually competent. (But, hey, you hired your incompetent brother so….)

Or maybe you vote for a leader who promises much change across the board. And yet slowly you realize, “Ohhhh, he meant changes from what he originally promised!” The truth is that people lie. And those who are being lied to often shrug their shoulders and accept the lies, because somehow it makes us feel less responsible, and thus less culpable. Sometimes it feels easier (and safer) to maintain the status quo of inconvenient truths because exposing the multiple lies within our communities disrupt existing working order and can lead to various forms of punishment and exile.

At the end of the play, An Enemy of the People, Dr. Stockmann remains steadfast in his resolve that he did the right thing. But the audience is left wondering at what cost. What are the consequences each person is willing to live with for the responsibility of telling the truth? What are the moral dilemmas inherent in seeking the greater good? Do economics always win out, even over a society’s health and grave environmental dangers? Can lying committed by political leaders ever be for the greater good? What do you think? Funny, this play was written in 1882. And we’re still asking the same questions. Aren’t we?