The deeper we have gone into the subject of lying, the more we see how much pain and stress it causes everyone involved. Sadly, all of us have been affected by lying, whether our own or someone else's. I've been encouraged by those who have been helped by these blogs and want to live an honest life.
Honesty Brings Peace
Lying is extremely stressful. It causes you to be constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering who might be finding you out. You're always running through the lies you've told in your head, trying to keep track of what you've told to which person, and what's the next lie you need to tell. When you're honest, you don't have those worries, or the negative consequences of your lies.
Sarah added: When you're honest, you don't feel so lost all the time.
Roselyn commented: I can say that not lying is a very relaxing way of life. The fact you don't have to worry about remembering old lies or getting in trouble later on for lying puts a lot more relief in your life. Even when it's hard, telling the truth always has the better outcome than a bunch of lies.
People are constantly looking to see who they can trust and who they can't. People are actually much more perceptive and aware of who tells the truth and who doesn't. Over time, honesty shows itself as a trait that is beautiful and deeply respected. As you begin to live lie-free, you will begin to see people will trust and respect you more and more.
If you resist the temptation to lie, you increase your capacity to build lasting relationships of trust. This is true in all our relationships whether it's dating, family, friends, or at work. Macey put it so well: The truth always comes around. It's always best to be honest it makes any and every relationship strong and healthy. Being honest and open has actually gotten me further than lying.
Honesty Builds Integrity
Integrity is a word few uses, and less understand. Yet if you, have it, it is priceless. If you are a person of integrity, it means your walk matches your talk...you do what you say you're going to do, and when you say something, people know you mean what you say. It means you can be trusted. The opposite of integrity is hypocrisy...saying one thing and doing another.
Someone commented about the value of being honest: I used to lie a lot. I would lie only because it was easier than explaining the truth. And I have finally grown to realize that it's easier to [be honest]. Being honest and open has actually gotten me further than lying. My parents trust me, and I feel good about myself. And when you feel good about yourself then you know that everything is okay. This person has come to realize the pain of hypocrisy and the joy of integrity. When we tell the truth and live it, we become emotionally and spiritually stronger every day.
I want to offer up a challenge to all of us. Would you be willing to commit to a life of honesty and integrity? If you're up for this life-changing challenge, please write me a comment below, and tell a friend about your commitment, too.
I am ready to take on this challenge.
I have pretty much lied almost my whole life. basically trying to please everyone around me, wanting to make my life sound more interesting than it actually was. no one really every told me it was a serious issue. recently the past couple of days or so I would catch myself trying to figure out who I told certain lie to and if I told the same lie to other people. just like you said living a lie is very stressful, because I am trying to re-track my steps on numerous lies. I got some advice from my best friend and she advised me to start thinking before I speak. I also asked her mom, who is in the medical field. Her term she used was habitual lying, and since they have known me my whole. she thinks the best way to seize this issue was to see a therapist to help me stop. although, I believe I can stop living a lie without a therapist, if I have the drive to stop lying it can be done. will it be hard, yes! Now I just need some advice on how and where to begin? It is very difficult to do since I am so use to just spitting out lies. I know telling the truth would make my life way easier.
I have a huge problem with lying. Not wanting to show the real me. Lying about doing or not doing something so people wont think I don't care. Lying because it seems easier or to keep myself "looking good." I will except this challenge to live free.
I'm up for the challenge
I lived in the farm thru out my adolescent age. I worked along with older farmers who worked long hours to make sure harvests were there to feed the family. We did not have much money, farming machines and just simple people just worked hard from morning to dark. But the joy of accomplishing what's needed to be done was satisfying. When we did short cuts or cheating in the farming business, the results often manifested in the end or harvest time. We used to not use fertilizers in the right amount or cut amount of it, so what's left could be use in the next season. But only to find out, the results were poor harvest and less money made.
There's a saying,---- when working with the land/soil, one must work with honesty and integrity. Because in the end, the abundance in harvest will show from true hardwork. Meaning, do it right with honesty and integrity.
There I learned to speak and act with humbleness, hardwork spirit, honesty, and integrity. These attributes made me live my life comfortably and in peace.
Then later in life, got my college degree and moved out to the big city. There I found many hypocrits and dishonest employees....--t (not putting in 8 hours of solid work in a day), Lying in the board meeting, owning expensive cars with not enough money to pay it.
My humble experience and strong discipline (both learned from the farm) allow me to live simply, comfortably, and having fun at the same time. Always able to save money.
Thank you for this article. I believe and have found it to be true that when you're honest, you don't feel lost all the time and the reciprocal, that when you lie you are lost all the time. I pretty much started lying to try to protect myself. Because when you lie, you don't put your true self out in front of people, so you're never vulnerable. But this doesn't even make sense because if you're human, then you must have be vulnerable sometimes, so there's no sense in lying. Also, no sense in bullshitting, or omitting the truth. It makes sense to just tell the truth to people even if it hurts you. Also, in situations where the truth might hurt someone else, there might be a more tactful way of telling them the truth or being nice about it. I will not lie anymore.