Back in the dark ages when I was in high school, the stoners used to play a game called Zoom. I really don't remember the complex rules but it involved a Zoomer, truth-tellers, and a few other weird groups. But if I recall, part of the game was to figure out who was telling the truth. Perhaps I was (and still am) a bit gullible and I never seemed to get it right. I always wanted to believe the things that people told me.
Some people seem to be deceitful by nature. There are many types of lies, from those that are supposed to be good, like saying you like your Aunt Martha's sauerkraut cherry cobbler, to everything politicians say to aggrandize points and positions. It's easy to get lost in the rhetoric. We are always faced with the task to believe or not believe. And although it seems we all have this dislike for lawyers and the law, if people only told the truth and were kind, we'd have no need for the profession. Most people think that politicians are liars, or at least creatively interpret the truth to fit their agendas.
Some truths are absolute and we get it. But most truths are not so clear. What is true for one person is not true for someone else. Although we seem to value the people who always tell the truth, we are appalled by people without filters. Sure, there are ways to say things to not offend, but the more you filter the message, the more you end up trying to mislead and misdirect, just to make a point. And the people who are good at it are wildly rich and successful -- but probably dishonest. Fill in the blank with the latest scandal of a televangelist or disgraced CEO.
The tangled web of deception always destroys trust. Even simple lies create barriers to true relationships. And although we all know this, many continue to deceive forcing us to spend our days listening and sorting, trying to make heads or tails of messages and meanings. Some days my head just hurts with the chaos. Like lawyers, therapists would probably be out of business if people were more honest with each other and themselves.
Truthfulness is best judged in the mirror. It is reflected in integrity and character. If you are true to yourself and strive to be in your thoughts and actions, you have achieved greatness.
Objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear.