“How to Corner Liars: A Miasma-Clearing Protocol” by ymeskhout

A framework for quashing deflection and plausibility mirages

The truth is people lie. Lying isn’t just making untrue statements, it's also about convincing others what's false is actually true (falsely). It's bad that lies are untrue, because truth is good. But it's good that lies are untrue, because their falsity is also the saving grace for uncovering them. Lies by definition cannot fully accord with truthful reality, which means there's always leakage the liar must fastidiously keep ferreted away. But if that's true, how can anyone successfully lie?

Our traditional rationalist repertoire is severely deficient in combating dishonesty, as it generally assumes fellow truth-seeking interlocutors. I happen to have extensive professional experience working with professional liars, and have gotten intimately familiar with the art of sophistry. As a defense attorney, detecting lies serves both my duty and my clients’ interests. Chasing false leads waste everyone's time and risks backfiring [...]

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Outline:

(00:05) A framework for quashing deflection and plausibility mirages

(02:39) How to Lie

(05:36) How To Lie Not

(09:58) How?

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First published:
February 27th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Q3huo2PYxcDGJWR6q/how-to-corner-liars-a-miasma-clearing-protocol

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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