It’s amazing how quickly we become indignant in the face of a lie. Because none of us enjoy the feeling of being deceived. It’s deeply unsettling. We begin to call everything into question. We ask ourselves if we can really trust anything that’s ever been said. That’s how untruths can quickly become a corrosive influence on our relationships. They carry the destructive potential of sending fracture lines into our closest connections and disrupting the foundations of our private and working lives.
We can all appreciate that most lies are based on varying degrees of personal insecurity but we can also see that they are usually counter-productive. This isn’t to suggest that we should be free to express whatever we’re thinking or feeling at any given moment. Very few people have sufficient control over their minds to be able to articulate their thoughts and feelings without causing chaos. But it is a reminder that openness is a better alternative for humans than hiding behind a veil of deception. It’s also very helpful to remember that we benefit enormously from being able to describe how we’re feeling without the fear of provoking judgement, hostility or anger. In our daily quest for understanding, we need to be able to communicate clearly with the people who form our closest circle and feel that it is completely safe and acceptable for us to describe our feelings. Timing is an important factor too.
But the deeper value of truthfulness is that it relieves us of the constant stresses and pressures that are required to maintain the lie. Self-acceptance plays a key role in freeing us from the need to pretend to be something that we are not. Laying aside the roles and masks that we wear in the mistaken belief that these veils will somehow make us more likable is a truly liberating step on the pathway to a happier, more balanced existence. Embracing a more open attitude will remove much of the internal resistance that hinders our progress and our ability to experience inner peace, calm and happiness. You don’t always have to be right and you don’t have to be perfect. Being yourself is an essential step on the pathway to feeling whole, complete and at peace with yourself and with the world around you.
