When is it good to lie? The answers to this question can be debated over and over again and at the end of the day, people won’t still reach a compromise.

Like in any moral issue, there are gray areas to be considered and this space is too limited for that. Let’s just agree that dishonesty is never a good thing and if possible, must be avoided. It’s very easy to tell falsehoods and lying too can be a habit, if one does not check himself.

Dishonesty and lying can give a temporary high but like any bad drug, it has more negative effects:

• You can confuse lies with reality that you never know anymore what you really feel or believe in.
• Lying can only make a bad situation worse.
• You will be haunted by guilt and fear of being found out.
• The more you lie, the worse the consequences will be and you may not be prepared to face them. More and more people will get hurt.

Just remind yourself that secrets and deceptions will eventually be found out. It can be sooner or it can be later, but no secret can remain unrevealed for long. If you are discovered to have lied you lose two important things (among others)- the trust and the respect of the person or people to whom you lied – and that includes yourself.

If you find yourself that you can no longer control your lying, meet with a counselor or other professional who can help you resolve underlying issues.