Thought of the Day 08.20.08

Most of our lies aren’t actual deceptions but rather false impressions that we allow to exist, often because we haven’t even realized that we’re allowing them. For instance, here’s what honesty might sound like in a couple of common cases:

"Hi, this is Andrew, and I’m not answering the phone right now. You can leave your name and number, but I’m usually pretty slow to get back to people. You’re better off just trying again later or emailing me."

"Hey, Jeff, I just wanted to let you know I’m running late for our meeting because I decided to hit the snooze button twice this morning. Traffic is well within the bounds of normal."

"Well, Brenda, since I’m watching the Olympics this week, I probably won’t get your report done by Friday, but I can get it done by Tuesday if that’s okay with you."

See, lying is often just a matter of saying what everyone else says and not thinking about it…that and our desire to be perceived better than we deserve. But a little deliberate honesty might help everyone get along better.