Sunday, July 24, 2011

Lying for sport

I'm always amazed at the ease with which people lie. Sometimes, it seems to drip from their tongues like saliva; to not be a choice, but a reflex. When did we decided that it's better to mislead a person, supposedly to "protect" them, than to tell them the truth and enable them to make a decision about that information.
I am an honest person. I tell the truth, and I like to be told the truth. To me, there is no such think as a "white lie". Either it's true or it's not. Fact or fiction. Honesty or deceit. I'm not advocating blatant honesty that is delivered without love. I've been guilty of that and have seen the immense pain it can cause. But I am talking about speaking into someone's life in a way that allows them to grow and mature.
The best relationships I have are the ones where people have not been afraid to tell me the truth. They love me enough to tell me I suck, I've screwed up and I've hurt someone. That is very painful to hear. I don't particularly want to know what a bad human being I am. But without this knowledge I am unlikely to change my offensive behavior. Do other people really deserve any less?

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