May 6, 2020
We have all lied at some point, and have likely been hurt by
others lying to us.
Wonder why do we all do it? Why do some people lie compulsively?
Have you ever felt a need to lie to pretend things are better than
they are or even to gain power or protection? Have you ever felt
ashamed of believing a liar or have been badly injured as a
result?
We have all been there! Let's talk about this
complex issue and explore the Pain, Power and Purposes
of Lies.
We will discuss the motivation and consequences of
lying; how to spot a liar; types of
liars; and when lying seems like the right thing to
do.
Let's take the time to chat about how we make sense of the issues
of lying and even learn to spot when we are using lying ourselves
(perhaps it's automatic; a response to when we feel uncomfortable
or want someone's approval).
We will also explore the concept
of "Firehosing" , that involves huge
amounts of lies being pushed out, and making it difficult to see
the truth beyond the misinformation. It's primarily
used to maintain power and to deliberately deceive.
Most often used in a political context, it can leave people
overwhelmed by the misleading and confusing information.
And before we all start to feel that we are to blame and shamed by
lying – let's talk about and put into perspective how common
dishonesty is and part of how we navigate our world with others.
Somehow, lying is a deeply ingrained mechanism in our
makeup of who we are.
Our best bet to managing it, is to realize that it is here and to see it clearly and call for what it is.