Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

With every Dr. Phil show comes his admonition that participants "just be honest".  His reasoning is that "you can't change what you don't acknowledge".  And so it is.  If you don't admit to a lie, you can't fix what lies beneath it. 

Children lie to save their skins from punishment.  Adults do, too, but they mask it by saying that they are/were trying not to hurt your feelings.  Bull!  If someone lies to you about something, you can rest assured that they are only trying to save their own butts from whatever you would do if you had known the truth.  In short, people who lie to you are robbing you of your opportunity to make your life's decisions based on the truth. 

After a zillion years of teaching kids, I learned not to give them the opportunity to lie.  Instead of asking "Did you do this?", the reasonable thing to do is to state a fact and assume that you already know the truth.   In short order, the facts will show up.  It's a skill that comes with experience.   God bless my grandson, Ryan.  He tries to lie, but the expression on his face gives him away every stinkin' time.  He needs to take lessons from his mother.  She's a champ in the lying department!  (Wink at Megan!)

Speaking of Ryan, he used to have a warped sense of truth, and maybe this is more common that I know.  If you said something would happen, but it didn't (for whatever reason) you lied.   He didn't understand intent.  Maybe still doesn't.  God bless my little guy.  He is learning...

I like to think of myself as an honest person, but there are exceptions.  Other people's perception of the truth has a lot to do with how truthful one can be.  I keep trying!!