When Did Lying Become the New Black?

“Jerry, just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it.”

Great episode of Seinfeld. Love that. But, what’s that a prime example of? Everybody lies.

When did it become so easy? When was it okay that cheating and lying became such a simple, easy and forgivable offense?

Look, I don’t want to get up on a soapbox here. I understand that nobody’s perfect. But, I do want to educate you on the level of lying that we’re at and how it’s become accepted.

Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, gave a TED Talk about how to spot a liar. Did you know that we are lied to between 10 and 200 times everyday? Our kids- four out of every 10 things they tell us are lies. Two out of every 10 things we tell our spouses are lies. (For more information on Pamela’s research, go here).

When does it end?

Is it okay to lie on your resume? No.

Is it okay to lie to your friends? No.

Lying has become so rampant that it feels like it’s more acceptable than telling the truth.

At the end of the day, the lies you tell; the wrongs you commit can be very detrimental and hurtful. If you don’t believe me…ask Richard Nixon if he was still alive today. Lies, deceit, trying to get even…that stuff lingers. That’s some really bad energy and that’s the stuff that’s going to come back at you later on.

If it’s true that the two most important aspects of life are trust and communication and you actually look someone in the eye and lie then you’re breaking the two core covenances most central to life. Just remember that doing whatever you can to get by in the short term won’t do you any good Ultimately, judgment day comes for everyone.