"For all practical purposes a lie is as true
as the bias of its receiver."
………………………………. —Milovat Lož
Celebration of Mistrust
On the first day of classes,the professor brought out an enormous flask.
"It's full of purfume," he told Miguel Brun and the rest of the students. "I want to measure how perceptive each one of you is. Raise your hand as soon as you perceive the scent."
And he removed the stopper. Moments later two hands were in the air. Soon five, ten, thirty —all hands were raised.
"May I open the window, professor?" a young woman asked, dizzy from the overpowering fragrance. Several voices echoed her request. The air, thick with the aroma of perfume, had quickly become unbearable for everyone..
Then the professor had the students examine the flask, one by one. It was full of water.
by Eduardo Galeano
from The Book of Embraces
W.W. Norton & Company, 1991