The worst part about lying is not fooling others — it is knowing within yourself that something true has been compromised.
DON’T BE GOOD AT THIS
I tried lying once upon a time…
and failed miserably.
I was no good at it.
I tried harder too and quickly realized it was a lost cause.
You cannot look people directly in the eye.
Your voice changes.
You begin mumbling.
Your normal confidence disappears.
And worst of all…
whatever the lie gained you cannot truly enjoy because something inside already knows the truth.
Then comes the conscience…
and now it has something to pursue you about.
IT’S NOT NATURAL
Human beings were never designed to live comfortably inside deception.
Look at children.
They are terrible liars when first experimenting with it because dishonesty does not flow naturally through innocence.
I remember a Candid Camera episode that proved this beautifully.
TWO CONES… TWO KIDS
Two children sat in a room with ice cream cones placed before them.
The adult said:
“These are yours, but don’t touch them until I return.”
Then the adult left the room.
At first the children simply stared.
Then came finger touching.
Then finger licking.
Then eventually the little girl leaned forward and boldly licked the ice cream itself.
The boy saw her do it…
and immediately joined in.
Soon both children had ice cream rings around their mouths without even realizing it.
ADULT COMES BACK
The adult returned noisily and suddenly both children sat upright with exaggerated innocence, hands at their sides trying desperately to look perfect.
Then came the question:
“Did you taste the ice cream while I was gone?”
The little girl slowly shook her head NO.
The boy quickly followed.
Yet the ice cream circles around their mouths told the entire story.
What made the moment powerful was this:
Neither child was naturally good at deception.
And honestly…
they never truly would be.
On adults however, lying becomes less cute and far more destructive because sophistication enters the act.
FOOLED THEM ALL EXCEPT ONE
Adults add performance.
Strategy.
Intellect.
Acting.
Manipulation.
And yes, sometimes they fool everyone else in the room.
But one person always knows the truth.
The liar.
That person knows fully what took place regardless of whether anyone else believes it or not.
And that hidden knowing quietly eats away at peace from the inside out.
“GOTCHA” HURTS LIKE HELL
Being caught in a lie creates one of the most painful emotional experiences a person can endure.
The room changes instantly.
Awkward silence appears.
Trust withdraws.
People become distant.
And if someone continues digging deeper instead of confessing honestly…
things worsen quickly.
One lie begins protecting another lie.
Soon confusion multiplies.
SHORT TERM PAIN… LONG TERM PEACE
But here is the good news.
Confession hurts…
briefly.
Coming clean stings.
It humbles.
It exposes weakness.
But afterward something remarkable happens:
Peace begins returning.
Lightness returns.
Hope returns.
Integrity returns.
And the forces that once claimed ownership over your conscience lose their grip entirely.
Truth cleans house.
YOU CAN STAY… BUT THESE GUYS HAVE TO GO
Lies.
Fraud.
Deception.
Manipulation.
Beguilement.
False appearances.
May these things visit us less and less until they finally lose interest altogether.
And what remains standing afterward?
A trustworthy human being.
Someone people feel safe around.
Someone who can look others directly in the eye.
Someone whose presence carries peace instead of tension.
Because honesty does not merely tell the truth…
it frees the person telling it.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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