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On Telling Lies Most religious literature emphasises the importance of telling the truth. There are some very good, practical reasons for this. Most people tell lies in order to protect their self-image. They think that if they tell the truth people will think less of them. In reality, people respect integrity. If you always tell the truth, and have a reputation for telling the truth, people will respect that. If you show your faults, rather then lying about them, people will respect that, too. There is another, more ephemeral, reason for telling the truth. When you tell a lie There's a part of your psyche that believes what you say. Ronald Reagan stood up in court and said in his defence that he couldn't remember. A few years later he developed Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand, whereas in court you must ‘tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’, in everyday life we can be a bit more relaxed. I've known people who offend others with harsh comments and make the excuse that they can’t tell a lie. It’s a cop out. Not telling a lie is not the same as telling someone the harsh truth (and this truth is more often than not just an opinion). Telling the truth demands integrity and the ability to understand what your opinion really is. If you see the world in black and white then you only have two options. If you see the world in multi-colours and multi-dimensions then you can pick your shade and angle of reply adroitly, without causing offence but still reflecting your real feelings. Having to think about the issue rather than giving an automatic reply expands the consciousness.