When Everyone Lies to You

There are some people who believe that no one should be trusted and the world is full of liars. They usually feel this way for one of two reasons: first, they themselves are habitual liars and they assume  that everyone else is just like them. The second, and more likely, reason is that their behavior compels others to lie to them. In other words, they make it difficult for others to tell them the truth because others can see how aggressively or emotionally they react to the truth.

If others see how angry, hurt, or vengeful you become when they tell you the truth, they’ll avoid telling it at all costs. If you are known as someone who is easily offended, you’ll never know what others are really thinking or feeling as they’ll distort the truth to pander to your negative reaction. If you demand that children tell you the truth and then punish them for it because the truth is not very palatable, you teach them to lie to you to protect themselves.

If you feel everyone around you is lying to you, you need to examine your own behavior and attitudes first – the other person is only half of the equation.

Source: “When Everyone You Know Lies to You,” from Why Men Don’t Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes: The Ultimate Guide to the Opposite Sex (book), by Alan & Barbara Pease

Also read: The Pinocchio Effect