Mendacious!

October 15th, 2022| Topic: RaMbLeS | 0

Continuing the theme of lying from one of my blogs from last month …

Carlo Collodi (1826–1890) of Florence, Tuscany, was right after all. Or at least, he was on to something almost two centuries ago. Signor Collodi was the creator of Le avventure di Pinocchio or, as is better know to us, The Adventures of Pinocchio. Pinocchio, the protagonist, was created as a wooden puppet by a carver in a Tuscan village—an animated and sentient puppet! This being—described by Collodi as a “rascal,” “imp,” “disgrace,” “ragamuffin,” and “confirmed rogue”—is an inveterate liar. Unfortunately for Pinocchio, his nose starts to grow when he tells fibs. Yup, Collodi was on to something in his fiction.

That the nose is the center of truth is the conclusion of new research published by a team of psychologists at the University of Granada (Spain), Temuca (Chile), and Lyon (France): “The Mental Nose and the Pinocchio Effect: Thermography, Planning, Anxiety, and Lies,” in the Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling.

It seems that that when one lies, one’s nose gets hotter. So by monitoring people’s skin temperature with a special heat-sensing camera, the psychologists were able to discern the truthiness of people’s responses. It turns out that when we lie, blood rushes to the center of our faces. The lies light up our noses (as well as the inside corners of our eyes). And not only do our noses brighten, but other areas of our faces—cheeks, chins, foreheads—cool down.

Apparently, when we lie about our feelings the insular cortex, a part of our brain, activates. It is part of the control hub of emotions, perceptions of pain, and blood pressure. When we’re struggling with how to answer a tricky question (e.g., “How do I look?”), the insular cortex comes alive and sends blood to our noses.

Red hot noses for liars!

Actually, the nose as an organ of emotion is not at all unbiblical. In fact, it is often used of God’s wrath.

When the world’s powers (wannabe powers, actually) conspire against God, the “anger [nose]” of God is mentioned:

They take their stand—kings of the earth, and rulers take counsel together
against Yahweh and against His Anointed. …
He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord mocks them.
Then He will speak to them in His anger [“nose”], and in His fury terrify them.
Psalm 2:2, 4–5

The laughing God is an angry God! ROFL, LOL, and all that, but with a bright red nose, all ablaze. And he’s nowhere as benign as your favorite Christmas reindeer, Rudolf, I can assure you. Are those rebels in trouble or what!

And then God speaks:

“But I myself have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
Psalm 2:6

In response to earthly rulers rebelling and creating disorder and chaos and mayhem, this is what God’s going to do once and for all: install his own King, God’s Son (revealed later as the Lord Jesus Christ).

And here’s the psalmist’s recommendation to the ones who oppose this Son/King:

Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psalm 2:11

And if not, you’re gonna see God’s red nose!

Do homage to the Son, that He [Yahweh] not be angry [“nosed”],
and you perish …, for His anger [“nose”] may soon blaze.
Psalm 2:12a

But as for the rest, those who submit to this Regent:

Blessed are all who seek refuge in Him!
Psalm 2:12b

Nope, we won’t see God’s red nose. And that, folks, is a good thing!

SOURCE:
Vice; Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling