Why do we lie?

Why do we lie? There are tons of reason why… For a lot of us, it is the pressure of being good enough. It is hard enough during our teenage years and into your early 20’s but somehow we still do it. I know lots of people, especially women, who struggle with this on a daily basis. Sometimes we can’t help but feel powerless and inferior in certain situations so in turn, we embellish.

Whenever someone would ask me what my favorite book was, for years I would respond with “Le Petit Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Lie. Not my favorite book. On top of that, I wouldn’t say “The Little Prince” or “El Principito” in my two most fluent languages… Instead, I chose to say it in French because it made me sound worldly and intriguing. Thank God no one ever really asked me “why?” I never really read the whole book in any of the three languages and to this day, I can’t tell you what really happens, partly because my memory sucks and also because I read most of it in AP French class focusing more on pronunciation and grammar than the actual plot.

We forget we are good enough exactly the way we are. There’s no need to impress anyone. In time, I learned that the truth does set you free. It allows for people to see you for who you really are and you won’t find yourself scrambling for lies and embellishments. It is freeing.

When you open up your heart and stand in your truth, you will reap the benefits of trust and surprising acts of kindness. People appreciate honesty and will, more likely than not, relate with you and ultimately feel comfortable in talking to you further. It opens the gates for great relationships.

So now if anyone asks me “what is your favorite book?” I can confidently reply with “depends on what phase of my life you are referring to”.

Thanks for reading!

:: If you like this post, please share with your friends! ::