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The truth is thateveryone liesfrom time to time.
But lies can have a serious impact.
They can destroy relationships, undermine trust, and wreak havoc on your personal life.
Cp 360 lifestyle / Getty Images
The good news is that it’s possible for you to stop lying.
Click below to listen now.
How do you recognize that lies are starting to harm your daily life?
Some of the best estimates suggest that people lie around once or twice per day.
Research also suggests that there is a small proportion of people who lie far more than the average.
Deception studies have found that a small percentage of highly prolific liars actually tell the vast majority of lies.
In one sample, just 5% of the people told a whopping 50% of the reported lies.
Studies also suggest that the mistruths told by thesepracticed liarsalso tend to have more significant consequences if discovered.
Acknowledging the problematic behavior is often the first step towardmaking a lasting change.
On the other hand, antisocial lies intentionally mislead or deceive others for personal gain.
Consider how lying is affecting your life.
Be honest with yourself about how lying is affecting yourself and others.
Clearly, there are times whenlying can serve a purpose.
Or you might not share that you attended a social event to which your friend was not invited.
There are certain situations where it is understandable to withhold the truth or even lie outright.
In other cases, the question then becomes whether the other person actually benefits from being told a lie.
Put Your Relationships First
Lying can have several negative effects,including lasting damage to your relationships.
And once people feel they can’t trust you, it can bedifficult to regain that trust.
It is easy to forget how much it costs to maintain the habit when the results are temporarily positive.
Some experts even suggest that telling lies can take a serious toll on your health and well-being.
What happens is that you then feel the need to maintain a facade to maintain those relationships.
By being honest, youll be able to be who you truly are without feeling the need to hide.
you’re free to only be truly honest when you are completely vulnerable with your feelings and experiences.
When you lie about the past or present, it makes it hard to be open with others.
But this doesnt mean that they won’t discover your lie or that your deception wont hurt them.
So what are some substitutes that it’s possible for you to use in place of lying?
Changing ahabittakes time, so it can be helpful to plan how youre going to start overcoming this behavior.
Map out some of the steps you will follow to start being more truthful from now on.
Find out which option is the best for you.
A Word From Verywell
Remember that change isnt easy.
Try not to be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes.
Remind yourself of the benefits of honesty, including better relationships and a greater sense of authenticity.
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