When I was growing up, my parents drilled into my head that I must tell the truth in whatever I do. I guess what they were saying without actually saying it was "The truth will set you free."
As a result, I lived my life telling the truth. Oh Oh! I just told a lie. No, I haven't lived a lie-free life, but I have tried. I really don't think that anyone on this earth has lived a lie-free life. And, if they say they have, I believe they are, lying.
I can say, that I have a difficult time lying, and just about any problems I have had in my life, have been initiated by a lie.
The fact is, I am not a good liar, and when I do try to lie, I am not convincing at all. Lies cause me stress, inner turmoil, and attract chaos into my life. I think my inability and aversion to telling a lie is based on the fear of getting caught.
Memories dating back to childhood, of getting caught in a lie, still make my stomach churn. I can actually re-live the terrifying feeling of choking on my words as I tried unsuccessfully to lie my way out of the lie.
Turning beat red, shaking, trembling, and sometimes wishing I was never born. And of course asking myself, "Why did I do this?" And, always coming to the conclusion that telling the truth woud be so much easier.
To me, and I believe for most of my generation, telling the truth has always been a core value and basic principle of being a good person. A key element for a stress-free life. And, if a lie was told for whatever reason, it was only right to come clean and admit the mistake.
Getting caught in a lie was always one of the most embarrassing and shameful things that could ever happen.
So what has happened?
High-profile people in the entertainment business, professional sport, and in very high political positions, seem to be condoning the use of lies, and sending the message that lying is now OK when it's not!
Absolutely not...
In fact, I recently heard someone very close to the former President of the United States use the expression "little white lie", as an attempt to minimize the extent of her lying.
Categorizing lies as good or bad, large or small, and hurtful or not hurtful, is just not right. A lie is a lie and that's it - period! A half-truth is no different than being half pregnant. You are either all in or all out.
The point here is that honesty and truthfulness are the basis of good wholesome core values and beliefs.
Lying creates chaos, stress, and will always catch up to somehow, someday.
The consequences are ugly. So that is why the saying
"If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember", which most believe was coined by Mark Twain many years ago, means so much to me.