Little White Lies: A simple case of an overactive imagination gone haywire or a disaster waiting to happen?

It’s said that in order to be a good liar you have to have a pretty terrific memory to remember all the lies you told and who you told them to, because let’s face it once you tell one, it kind of goes south from there. Soon you telling more lie to cover-up the original transgression. Eventually, you the fine line distinguishing fiction of non-fiction begins to blur. You might even start believe your own lies, because, these false truths can take on a life of their own.  

Societal rules about telling lies can be very confusing and maybe even misleading. Almost every day you can read headlines about a public figure being accused of telling lies, and at the same time we are being told that telling a lie is not acceptable by your parents, friends, teacher, colleagues, and your boss.

When I was growing up, like most kids, I wanted to seek approval from and please my parent. And as a child, we sometimes think it will make their parents mad if they tell the truth about doing something wrong, and then they find that their parents get even madder when the kid tells a lie!

As a parent I have come face to face with this very dilemma, with my son. He has been spinning the most intricate of tales to get out of doing his homework and even making up stories when asked about a certain event. When I tell the tales to my friends and colleagues, it’s often seen as cute or imaginative he is. I suppose that is my fault partly, seems he has inherited my overactive imagination.  I suppose it can be viewed as humorous when kids do things, but as you get older and you know that telling the truth is important you can still get lots of confusing messages. Think many of you parents out there have experience this as well. You child telling you, ‘”. The teacher says I don't have to do the homework". And what parent what’s not to believe their child, not me. I don’t want to question my son and let him believe that I don’t trust him.  After awhile those half truths, start becoming a little more elaborate to the point its so obvious that your child is making these stories put. Because come on, a week of no homework? That is a little hard to swallow even for me.

It’s normal to wonder, what are lies anyway? Well, according to the dictionary it says that to tell a lie is to purposely say something that is not true because you want to make other people believe it.

The next logical question is, why do people tell lies? We the first response that comes to mind is people use lies to get themselves or someone into or avoiding trouble.  Sometime we do it to avoid being ostracized and to avoid embarrassment, or maybe in order to fit in with the group. Oh, a lot of times we find ourselves doing the most drastic things to get accepted or to make themselves look more interesting to others by exaggerating, bragging or boasting. We all love the attention that results from others praising us. Even we find ourselves telling lies in order to keep secrets or even to avoiding hurting someone's feelings. I know for kids, it sometimes turns into a game or a way to have fun.

Lots of people think that there are two kinds of lies, 'bad' lies and 'white' lies. They think that 'bad' lies are never OK but 'white' lies might be OK.I asked some children what they thought about lies and this is what they said. I think they have some pretty good ideas.

Think many people disagree on whether omitting something or saying nothing was the same as telling bad lies. I believe that is almost worse sometimes, because you know it wrong but you do intentionally leave out pertinent information.  When you are a little kid you use your imagination a lot and don't always know what is true and what isn't.

As you get older you learn the difference between what is true and what isn't. As you become a 'nearly teenager' you want to have more privacy in your life and in your thoughts. You may feel that you are more grown up and able to take care of yourself, but your parents may sometimes seem to treat you like a little kid. So sometimes you just say nothing and hope you won't have to answer a direct question. As adults our lies and the repercussions get bigger.  More often than not lies end up hurting others more than it affects the person telling the lie.  You would be amazed to here the intricate webs some people weave in order to deceive. I have no patience, but rather pity those who have become professional liars, because their reality is lost in the abyss of half truths they have created for themselves. It soon consumes you and swallows you whole leaving you destitute and delusional. Some habits die hard and this is the reason I believe that instilling values and a solid foundation is important from the very start in the formidable years. Before such twisted habits form and mutate into the relentless cycle of deceit.

-Lost N Vicious Reality