It is common for people when relaying their perspectives to fib, lie by omission, exaggerate, fabricate or embellish.
If someone catches 8 fish it’s not uncommon for them to “round up” and say 10. If someone works a 10 hour shift they may embellish the story and say they worked 12. Because they think it makes the story sound a little better.
Sometimes we take it a step further and misinterpret interactions with people in our lives. We may characterize someone as “flipping out” when they actually calmly expressed an opinion we didn’t like. But it makes a better story.
But at the end of the day, whatever you call these things, they are lies.
Jordan Peterson discussed this in one of his talks, and I love how he phrased it. He said that the only way to live your fullest adventure in life is to tell the entire truth, all the time. If you don’t do this, whatever adventure you’re living is a fraud. He says that only by speaking the truth and being willing to live with the fallout from it can you live your fullest life.
People all have certain proclivities to sin. Some people are prone to greed. Some people are prone to lust. And some people are prone to lying chronically. And it’s no less serious than the others. We must acknowledge it and try to put it behind us as best as we can.
We need to make a bold resolution, to be radically honest. To speak the truth at all times. Not to trade lies for adulation or glory, but being willing to tell the truth, the whole truth and face the fallout from that truth.
As Jordan Peterson says, until we do this, we cannot live our fullest life. We cannot have the adventure of our lifetime.
And if we do not, we will get find out anyway. People will see the inconsistencies between the truth and the stories we tell. We will get a reputation of being dishonest. Of being frauds. And the glory and adulation will crumble.
We need to commit to being radically honest, and to live up to the adventure we want to have.
“The truth will set you free.” – John 8:32
Anna Farley 