Let’s all take a second and think about that one friend who is a pathological liar. You have never heard him or her utter one honest statement in your life.
Now, think about if you needed an honest answer from him or her about anything. Would you really want that person as a friend, then?
I learned my lesson early on about lying. My mama would always tell me that God was watching me when she knew I was lying, and that usually prompted me to tell the truth.
The biggest lesson I learned about lying was through my dad when I first got my driver’s license.
I had been caught speeding, going about 80 miles per hour in a 45 zone. Luckily for me, the officer said he knew my family and would let me off the hook this time.
The officer told me that I had two weeks to tell my dad or else he would tell him. Of course, being 16, I was going to take the risk that the officer wouldn’t tell on me, especially since I had no idea who this guy was, so he obviously couldn’t be that close to my family, right?
One day, I got a phone call from my older sister telling me that whatever I did, I needed to tell my dad because he was getting angrier each day.
By that point, about two weeks had passed. Shaking, I went into the kitchen and started bawling, telling him how sorry I was that I hadn’t told him about getting pulled over and that I wouldn’t keep things like that from him again.
The only thing he said to me was, “I’m just sad that you felt you couldn’t tell me.” Ah yes, the guilt trip. In my opinion, the worst punishment there is.
The feeling my dad put upon me in that moment made me never want to make anyone feel like that ever again.
Honesty is such a rare but cherished trait. It is so hard to find in a person. Many people are honest about harmless subjects, but when faced with anything uncomfortable, the lying game begins. True, undisguised and fearless honesty is probably the most rare characteristic a person can find.
I recently read this quote and added it onto my mental list of the best quotes ever.
“Everybody wants the truth, but no one wants to be honest.”
The main thing I have learned with being so honest so far is that, yes, people will get mad at you but also that, if they are mature enough to be your friend, they will realize the only reason they are hurt is because it wasn’t what they wanted to hear.
The truth can hurt most of the time, but it can also heal. Some lies never heal. It doesn’t matter how painful the news may be; it matters that you are a good-enough friend to show them that they are worth the truth rather than a lie.
Damaged feelings heal and are forgotten about; lies scar and are remembered.
Meagan Dixon is a freshman studying journalism and columnist for The Post.
Send her an honest email at md341410@ohiou.edu.
