05-May-2011

Pants on Fire

Anatomy of a Lie

We’ve all done it—whether it’s the little “white” ones or the “whoppers” – lied, that is. Telling lies has lost lives, saved them and even shifted the course of history (remember Watergate?). The common wisdom is that truth is the high road in all circumstances. “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” is the oath we swear in a court of law. Truth seems so obvious. It just is! Isn’t it?

A lie is a mechanism we use to provide a buffer of time and space between us and the consequences of being truthful with the other person. Of course, deliberate deception is different than “embellishing” a story told to friends to make it more humorous or protecting a small child from tragic news. It's always important to weigh the moment and the consequences of what you are about to say. No matter the facts of any given situation, it is the conscious communication, thoughts and words that come from honesty that will always ring true. Speak your truth from the heart…you won’t regret it.

Recommended Read: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg