I've come to the conclusion that this world is void of truth. In this case, the world includes parents, business persons, politicians, governments, friends and individuals. It seems we've mastered the art of lying and don't feel the least bit guilty about it. Lying is safe because it ignores the truth which might be hurtful or offensive. Lying is common, because parents teach their children from a very young age that it's ok. Lying is accepted and almost expected in some areas probably because of the latter. Person's who speak the truth are often isolated and punished because of their honesty
Lying has become an epidemic of the worst proportions. Unlike H1N1, there is no vaccine that would inoculate us from this evil device. Unlike Avian Flu or Ebola, we cannot blame wild animals as the originator of this disease and claim that the virus of lying mutated and adapted to human biology and was transferred between species. Just take a look at your dog. Dogs don't lie! They will bark and bait you out in a minute. It's not because they are not smart, but because they have no moral centre that would cause them to reason how they might benefit from lying (ruff!). However, humans do have a moral centre to reason and make the choice to tell the truth, hide the truth or lie.
I can vividly recall working in customer service and seeing how consumers lie about minor things. I told a customer that she could not purchase so many items because the store had imposed a quantity limit to ensure that there was enough merchandise for the whole community. Not only did this customer lie to me, she encouraged her son to lie also. At the end of the discussion I promptly replied "When your child breaks into my house to steal things that are not his and he goes to jail; do not say a word. You taught him this behaviour".
Lying is just the beginning. When we are dishonest for our own personal gain we will often do whatever it takes to have and do what we want without regard for the consequences. If we can lie to have our own way, we display the utmost disregard for our fellowman. Therefore, it's not a difficult jump from lying to stealing. Both of these devices are used for selfish gain.
It is common for students to cheat on exams, lie on their resumes (and in interviews). But the worst is to have a friend who cannot sit you down and provide the honest truth about your actions, no matter how damnable that truth may be. There is zero accountability and often people suffer and live in miserable conditions because of a truth that was not spoken (lying by omission) or a deceitful story that was disseminated to blind others.
Lying hurts. I recall a student who cheated on everyone of his 5th year high school chemistry exams. He never put the time in to study, never did his own assignments and earned a grade that was not reflective of his true capacity. This man was a fraud. If he continued this behaviour throughout his academic life, he may be the one putting lives at risk in his professional discipline.
Regardless of religion, personal belief or cultural influence, there must be someone who will stand for the truth. If you have a friend that needs a good dose of reality, tell them. Risk the relationship. It would be better to tell them they've had too many boyfriends and they need to deal with the issue that makes them so promiscuous than to be a comfort by their bedside when they are dying of AIDS. It's better to tell your children to pay for the candy before they eat it in the store, instead of visiting them in jail for theft or murder. It's better to tell your family member they need to stop disrespecting your spouse before your marriage is divided by their fire filled tongue. It's better to tell your boyfriend that he has to fix that temper before you marry him rather than end up in shelter because your husband beat the crap out of you and left you for dead. It's better to leave that credit alone and do without until you have the money to appropriately allocate to that want, than to file for bankruptcy and lose your house.
It always better to tell the TRUTH!
BARK!
