The stress of maintaining a
lie takes a toll on your health
Frankly speaking. To tell the
truth. Honestly. If the truth be known. Familiar words frequently heard -- from those
otherwise not being honest?
here's probably been no time in
recent memory where lying has been more prevalent -- from the Oval Office to the witty GTE
wireless phone TV ad showing a man on a beach calling his employer: "Hello, boss. I'm
gonna beat this bug and be back to work ASAP...."
But experts say, for your
sanity's sake, it's easier to tell the truth. Why not start today, -- National Honesty
Day.
"Once you lie, you have to
maintain that lie and you need to construct reality around it," says Jack Cahalane, a
therapist at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. "You have to act in a way that
supports that lie. That takes a lot of work."
Just ask President Clinton.
"Telling the truth can mean
admitting to one's own failings," says Dr. Gary Swanson, chief of pediatric
psychiatry at Allegheny General Hospital. "Anybody can tell the truth when it's no
big deal. The test of character comes when you own up to having done something
wrong."
Or revealing lies going on around
you.
That is why the founder of
National Honesty Day last year gave the annual Honest Abe award to night watchman
Christoph Meili, who revealed a Swiss bank's attempt to shred Holocaust-era documents.
M. Hirsh Goldberg, who wrote
"The Book of Lies," decided several years ago that April would be a particularly
suitable month for National Honesty Day. After all, it starts with outright fabrications
on April Fool's Day and includes what he calls the universal "fudging" day on
April 15. End the month on a truthful note, he decided.
"Never underestimate the
value of being honest," says Swanson. "It's much healthier. You can sleep
better, feel good when you look in the mirror. Otherwise, there's what we call 'cognitive
dissonance' when we don't practice what we preach. It brings on discomfort, a
psychological discomfort."
Clinton's lies about Monica
Lewinsky were "extremely harmful," says Swanson. "In general, we want our
leaders to be truthful. We know they make campaign promises, but even with that, their
intention is to be honest about the promises. Just think of how many people felt hurt and
betrayed by what [Clinton] said."
In the short run, telling the
truth may be hard because there are consequences -- like revealing an affair to your
spouse.
"The important thing is to
begin setting examples for your children so they won't get caught up in lying," says
Swanson. "For instance, when your child is in the car with you and you're stopped for
speeding. You were clearly speeding but you're telling the officer that you weren't."
So for the health of it, try
observing honesty today.
"Someone may not tell the
truth because he wants to please others, avoid getting in trouble," says Cahalane.
"But in the long run, it's just easier to be honest."
 Do you know someone who is
exceptionally honest?
You can nominate him or her to receive "Honest Abe" awards. Write M.
Hirsch Goldberg, Author of The Book of Lies, 3103 Szold Dr, Baltimore, MD 21208
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