Liar Liar pants on Fire

To lie- “to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive; to create a false or misleading impression.” As stated by the Merriam Webster’s dictionary, this is how lying is perceived by many. I agree with this definition, however with scattered additions. A lie’s meaning can differ depending on the intent being placed into the mistruth being told. When spoken merely out of the best interest of one’s peers, I feel as though what some call a “white lie” does not fall under the category of a mental crime. However when one deliberately chooses to violate the truth and blatantly make a statement disregarding honesty completely, a situation of this stature is what truly goes against all human values. As prone to it as I may pretend to be, giving in to lies and allowing myself to believe out of downright fear is what I find myself doing quite frequently. Whether it is as simple as convincing myself that the shaky result received on a pop quiz will in no way affect my final grade, or on a more vital level of promising myself that no matter how steep of a decline my grandfather’s health is racing down he will be okay, my mindset revolves around constant positivity, factual or faux. Confrontation is my weakest asset, meaning that speaking to please is what my first reaction continually is. When faced with situations ranging from having a thrilled friend approaches me raving about her new jeans that I find not as flattering as they may appear to her, to assuring my parents that I had no visitors over while babysitting, explanations intended to delight are what invade my brain initially. This has been my largest flaw for longer than I can ponder on, and continues to hold the honor of the biggest obstacle I attempt daily at overcoming. As I stated earlier, I feel as though lies are defined through the purpose in which they are told, yet I’ve found that the confrontation issue I struggle with succeeds in revolving around positivity, however untrue my responses may be. Unlike a blatant lie, my intent to please is wholesomely out of fear of causing disappointment, never to inflict mental pain on others. However, a lie is a lie, and whether it is genuinely helping one or ravishingly damaging another, a half truth is indeed a whole lie.