What If You Couldn’t Lie?

What if you couldn’t lie? I just read an article asking the question, what would you get rid of from the world? There was a range of answers, from hatred and greed to prejudice. These aren’t pet peeves, but one answer from the question stood out because it could be a pet peeve. It’s lying. 

Now imagine if lying were eliminated from the world. This would eliminate some false friends: those who pretend to care about you when they don’t. For example, they’ll say they’re excited about going to your party, but they’re waiting for the right time and a last-minute excuse to cancel.

On a more global level, this would eliminate false claims from politicians who do not intend to keep their campaign promises. It would also put an end to false advertising. No more claims that a product can make you slimmer if you eat it.

Of course, not being able to lie could cause issues as well. For instance, your spouse cooks a dish that tastes terrible. Your spouse knows the salty, flat cake isn’t delicious. But it’s still edible, so you take a few bites. “Good,” you say to your spouse in encouragement. 

Not being able to lie can cause bigger issues. For example, if you live in a dangerous situation, not being able to lie can jeopardize your safety. If you have an abusive spouse, you can lie and say that you’re going shopping for groceries when you are in fact, planning your escape by finding a safe place to move to and getting professional help and resources.

Overall, I think people lying can be a pet peeve. If a close friend lies, it is disrespectful and can destroy your trust in that friend, and make you question your trust in all friends. On the other hand, removing the act of lying from existence isn’t wise either. A child with an abusive parent can lie about going to the library while they go to a friend’s house where they feel safe until it’s time to go home again.

Should lying disappear from the world? Hard to say. It depends on the reason for telling a lie.