"Don't Lie to Me"
"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." William Shakespeare
(A year and a half ago, when I began writing “Think Outside the Box,” I promised I wouldn’t get into anything controversial or political. I say that as a caveat because today’s thoughts issue from a recent news story exposing that a popular TV news show knew the truth on the inside and was lying on the outside. The exposure was revealed by evidence of sworn testimony and written text. I don’t like being lied to! It seemed like a good discussion on lying/not lying could write itself. Here we go!)
So. What is a lie? Merriam-Webster defines it as “to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive.” Dictionary.com agrees, but it adds the word “falsehood.” Synonyms for “lying” include: deceive, misrepresent, fabricate, delude, mislead, and many more. The truly operative word is “intent.”
The impetus to lie begins within our hearts. Lies are uttered for the “liar” to gain something for himself. Jesus said (referring to eating), “whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into their heart, but into their stomach, and is eliminated?” 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the person, that is what defiles the person.” See verses 21-23 in footnotes.1 The liar is the one who is defiled or dishonors himself. Why would a person damage their soul like that?
Everyone misspeaks. It may cause a misunderstanding in the speaker. If you continue the conversation, the gaffes can be amended. Most people do not intentionally misspeak; therefore, they are not liars. Don Migual Ruiz, Author of “The Four Agreements,” states his First Agreement:
Many people have said that if you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said or did because it really happened. However, telling a lie always leads to more prevarication to support the original untruth. Very stressful.
In our lives, we generally have responsibility for other people. As parents, grandparents, Faith Leaders, bosses, students, our community, and so on. Breaking faith with those who look up to us is a very tragic occurrence. As parents of very young children, Santa, and the Tooth Fairy seem like harmless fun. But beyond a certain age, they start to doubt, and you have to validate their suspicions that some things are not real. As children grow, they want more and more truth. The role of Religious Leader is an awesome and profound responsibility. Beware that you are leading your congregants in the way of true faith.
Many of the Elite tier of society, many of the monied sector, and many of those who hold power are the “egotistical” of the world. They see themselves as more entitled than anyone “beneath” them. They feel like they are the Puppet Masters and pull the strings of our lives. They use their power position and manipulate words to steer life to their satisfaction. They cheat, backstab, manage money dishonorably, and lie! Lying is simply a means to an end that they consider justifiable.
“Be impeccable with your WORD!” Notice it does not say “words,” which are our means of communication. It says “YOUR WORD!” Your WORD is the issuance of your inner core, deepest convictions, and spiritual relationship with God. If you keep your inmost self in sync with the positivity and truth of all the universe, you won’t be a liar. However, you will also be able to discern lies and liars. Have the integrity to confront their falsehoods. We need to cultivate a clear and truthful global community.
“Let’s all speak the truth. Shall we?”
"Don't Lie to Me"
Thank you for your integrity, Judith!