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The song “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year” found on Fall Out Boy’s second studio album From Under the Cork Tree contains a line from Pete Wentz that is worth further discussion. The bridge of the song contains the following line,

 “The best part of believe is the lie.”

To believe in something or someone requires some lying whether it be by oneself or directed towards another. What’s conveyed by these words is similar to the adage of fake it until you make it. Does that saying mean to lie to yourself until something happens or perhaps it’s a directive to lie to everyone including yourself? Wentz’s line is following a similar convention to the latter—believing requires the suspension of belief for certain outcomes no matter how unlikely. Can’t this be construed as a fib? When someone asks me to believe in them, should I lie to them and say I do even though I don’t? Or perhaps it means I must lie to myself and convince myself that they will succeed. Or even I must subconsciously lie to them because in the end, I love them.

There are many facets of believing and I could spend eternity listing all the different beliefs in the world, from religious dogma to personal mantras. I think a more appropriate and time-sensible task would be to discuss the backbone of a lie. What exactly is a lie? It’s when the truth is not told in favor of another outcome that didn’t actually happen. But what is happening when I lie to myself? Should I adjust the definition and say that a lie is a belief not based in or backed by reality?

But lies are resolutely good or bad. I’m sure most(many?) people would agree that lying about cheating, stealing etc. is not proper and just. But telling the truth can be hard. It can be taxing, and even conscious-burning. If a friend has an ugly shirt on and it looks terrible to me, according to my subjective opinion, that puts me in a truth-suppressing situation. This person is a friend though, and in order to remain their friend and have their support, I should lie and say, ”Yes, your brown and green shirt looks great.” This kind of fib happens every day.

Consider a parent clinging to life on her fated deathbed. You, her grieving daughter, are to see her for one final time. She turns to you and feebly asks if everything is going to be ok. You look into the dying light in her mother’s eyes and softly say “No.”

Of course, you should probably lie because it is morbid to tell a dying soul that they are at their terminal limit. But your mother deserves honesty. Perhaps brutal and unapologetic honesty is required. Consider it an ultimate form of tribute and devotion. There’s beauty to be able to steer through the pain and bitter defeat and say earnestly that the end has come for your mother and that you will be there until her time ends. Enter poetic justice.

 There is also the issue of absolute truth from a moral standpoint. Can absolute truth even exist? Let’s consider a baby that is unsightly at best. His head, too big. And his body asymmetrical. (Apologies for picking on babies, but they are an easy target.) A passerby glances at this idiosyncratic bundle of a thing and he softly says to himself, ”What a funny looking creature.” Meanwhile the parents think that this less-than-handsome baby is the most beautiful thing in the world because he is, of course, the embodiment of the union that conjoins a couple. So what is the lie and what is the truth? It’s impossible to say because as long as subjectivity exists, I don’t think objectivity can ever be absolute. Gravity works a certain way and to say that gravity is a process of gravy and lust would be absurd and objectively wrong. But if someone with persuasive acumen could present a valid argument for this assertion, then all of a sudden, my feelings of resolute conviction become tempered and diminished. In this world, there are varying degrees of truth and fiction.

 Another interesting concept is the existence of entertainment. Many movies take place in a fictional setting and the roles are people pretending to be other people. Aren’t actors just professional liars? They pretend to be people they are not, though the intention is not malicious, it’s simply to provide entertainment (and make a living). The suspension of belief must take place. The audience must forget that what they are watching is simply a collection of people pretending to display emotion and character. As the viewers, they are invited to forget reality, if just for a few hours and lie to themselves.

The same can be said about many lyrics. When lyricists create scenarios in their songs, should this be shunned? What about “fake” characters in a book? To appreciate art, sometimes you have to lie to yourself.

Perhaps the truth isn’t rooted in good or bad, but instead based on what you believe in. Right, Pete?