We’re taught that lying is bad from an early age.   Yet as adults, it seems that not everyone fully adheres to the principle of honesty and integrity.   

The least offensive lie is one that is made in error. A mistake.  Leaving out important facts is often used to commit a lie of omission.  Refusing to accept the truth can turn into a lie of denial.  Things can also be minimized or exaggerated, making them untruthful. Of course, we are all familiar with the trivial white lie.  

Of all these examples, the latter seems to be used to prevent hurt feelings or to protect someone from harm.  But that’s not the case for the others.  Instead, lies of omission, denial, minimization or exaggeration erode trust, are disrespectful and damage relationships.

A long time ago, I wrote about being a buffalo.  You may recall that buffalo (as opposed to their cousin the cow) are known to head straight into a storm, thereby fast forwarding through the bad conditions.   I think this can also be a great analogy for telling the truth.  

Whether its a mistake or something that just didn’t go as planned, trying to cover it up just makes the suffering last longer.  And keeping the deceit lasting is nothing short of blatant disrespect for the audience.  But moreover, it can never be undone. I can tell you from personal experience its a lot more work than just owning up to the facts.

I’m not suggesting that anyone reading this needs a lesson in honesty.  But I am suggesting that our world is full of people who continue to stretch the truth and engage in dishonesty for one reason or another.  Being humble, hungry and smart means encouraging one another to speak up and help one another understand that embracing the truth is a much more effective way to demonstrate strength, courage and bravery.