Introduction

We all have lied and cheated an uncountable number of times, and in return we all have been lied to and cheated upon. Sometimes those are unharmful white lies, but at other times those have caused dreadful situations.

The objective of this activity is to understand the impact and consequences of false information.

Instructions
  • Inform participants that they are flying in an airplane.
  • Everything is going smoothly, taking off on time, there are no mishaps at all. Suddenly, however, there is violent noise causing a fire in the wing and loss of engine power.
  • Panic Level 1 - Inquire from participants how they would react in that situation. Discuss the different thoughts and reactions participants would be feeling. For example, confident in the pilot's training and experience, scared and unsure but still trusting that the pilot or co-pilot will know what to do.
  • Panic Level 2 - Now imagine that the pilot is new to the airline, having recently gotten his certification to fly. Inquire whether this changes how they feel.
  • Panic Level 3 - Now explain that the pilot managed to have others do his homework and take his tests, and he is not as experienced as his certification claims. In fact, he missed the whole section of dealing with unexpected problems. Ask participants how they would feel if they were riding in a plane with this pilot.
  • Take note at which level participants start to mistrust the pilot, and how each level changes their reactions.
Reflections
  • Ask participants to voice out their honest thoughts and concerns at each panic level.
  • Why is honesty important?
  • Have you encountered situations where your trust was gravely betrayed by lies or misinformation?
  • Optional: Have you gravely betrayed someone's trust with lies or misinformation? Do we need to consider the severity of the impact and consequences of honesty and dishonesty?
  • Optional: Do we need to be honest at all times? Are white lies acceptable? Can honesty be more harmful than dishonesty in some circumstances? If so, is it better to choose dishonesty?
  • Optional: Is it acceptable to lie or provide misinformation with a good intention?