"Lies make the baby Jesus cry!"
So, I was stuck, and I packed up my Writer's Block the day we thought we were all going to get canned at work. I decided that since I had to post, I'd go over to the NaBloPoMo website and see what today's writing prompt was.Here it is:
What one thing are you often tempted to lie about? When do you think it's okay to lie?
That didn't really help at all, because I still don't have much to talk about. Much like Todd Flanders on The Simpsons, I think "Lies make the baby Jesus cry." (How's that for a holiday tie-in?) I don't believe there's ever a good time to lie. I believe it's important to tell the truth.
Someone once told me that if you always tell the truth, you only have to remember one story.
Maybe I'm too old to keep my stories straight. Or maybe, and this is probably closer to it, I have gotten burned by so many pathologically lying sociopaths that I have taken an all-or-nothing approach to honesty.
So, yes, sometimes this means that I have to pretend I didn't hear someone ask me if their jeans make their butt look too big. Or when my roommate asked me if I was mad the other day, I cleaned it up and said, "There's no point in being mad now; let's just say I'm frustrated." I don't lie, but sometimes I try to soften the blow, so to speak. I might be candid, but I'm not cruel. I think that's an art we could all benefit from.
There's just no excuse for making things up. What you think might be a harmless white lie or a tale that no one will ever find out isn't true can end up causing serious damage. Didn't I just talk about that yesterday when I wrote about breaking up with friends? There is a person that I have not talked to in years, nor do I have any inclination of talking to ever again, whose messes I am still cleaning up, simply because the truth evaded her. I don't know if she had mental problems or just wanted to be cool, but constantly explaining your association with her and how it affected your perception of reality gets old. Honestly, she should probably thank God everyday that I don't know how to contact her, or I would've last time I got my ass reamed for her lies. I should share the joy, shouldn't I?
Lies hurt people. The truth always prevails and hearts are broken and relationships are wrecked. And, even if you think you might hurt someone telling the truth, I can promise you that lies hurt a million times more.
So, I found something to write about after all. I don't even lie about my weight. I just won't tell you, so don't ask. Ever.
posted by Laura at
12:11 PM
1 comment(s):
I once had a college roomate who lied constantly about things not really important at all. Her lies made it impossible to know when she might be telling the truth. She had problems for sure. She told me a certain lady was her mother and later told me the lady wasn't her mother. To this day I don't know if the lady was her mother or not and since the truth here was of no significance to me, I never understood those particular switcheroo statements. But living in the same room with someone who lied so much was not a pleasant situation. There are occasions for not hurting someone's feeling with bluntly telling the truth, but too many lies and friends lose all faith in you.
By
GladysMP, at
12/09/2010 2:54 PM
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