Page 209 - the-trial

“What do you mean, ‘stupidity’?” asked K. “Why are you
asking about it?” said the businessman in some irritation.
“You still don’t seem to know the people there and you
might take it wrong. Don’t forget in proceedings like this
there are always lots of different things coming up to talk
about, things that you just can’t understand with reason
alone, you just get too tired and distracted for most things
and so, instead, people rely on superstition. I’m talking
about the others, but I’m no better myself. One of these su-
perstitions, for example, is that you can learn a lot about the
outcome of a defendant’s case by looking at his face, espe-
cially the shape of his lips. There are lots who believe that,
and they said they could see from the shape of your lips that
you’d definitely be found guilty very soon. I repeat that all
this is just a ridiculous superstition, and in most cases it’s
completely disproved by the facts, but when you live in that
society it’s hard to hold yourself back from beliefs like that.
Just think how much effect that superstition can have. You
spoke to one of them there, didn’t you? He was hardly able
to give you an answer. There are lots of things there that can
make you confused, of course, but one of them, for him, was
the appearance of your lips. He told us all later he thought
he could see something in your lips that meant he’d be con-
victed himself.” “On my lips?” asked K., pulling out a
pocket mirror and examining himself. “I can see nothing
special about my lips. Can you?” “Nor can I,” said the busi-
nessman, “nothing at all.” “These people are so superstitious!”
exclaimed K. “Isn’t that what I just told you?” asked the
businessman. “Do you then have that much contact with

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