It’s the first of April. In much of the western world, that means people are trying to prank one another with “April Fools Day.”
It’s easy to assume that these tricks are either harmless or worthless. In fact, there are many cases in which the hoax had a negative outcome. In 1987, a disc jockey in Los Angeles announced that the local highway system would be shut down for repairs—for an entire month. Hundreds called the local authorities, who were clearly not amused.
However, there’s still some value in making a small effort to try and fool people. The classic book A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift did not represent a serious idea for dealing with poverty (cannibalism!) but made an important point. Modern programs like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart have a similar objective.
Failure is the secret to success. Sometimes a good trick is what we need to inspire positive change.