Our Culture Of Lying

For whatever reason my friends tend to call and ask me for advice. I don't know if I get asked more than normal, or if this is how all friendships are. 

If I am lucky, they think I'm wise beyond my years... Wouldn't that be nice?

Or maybe they might think that I am so socially clumsy that I must have made many of the same mistakes. If you can't call Michael George about a "what if" situation, who can you call?

I don't have any actual statistics, but I swear on my left arm that when it's a"truth-or-lie" situation, nine times out of ten the answer is very clearlty "the truth".

(The one exception is when your wife asks you about how she looks in anything. The answer to that question is always, "Stunning darling and that outfit is really slimming!")

I'm not saying this to preach. I am not trying to come across as high & mighty. It has nothing to do with morals-- nothing at all to do with "the right thing."

But the fact that the truth is less common than a lie seems counterproductive to me. 

This morning, a friend of mine called and said,

"Mike! I don't know what to do! Please help me figure something out!"

"Sounds important. How can I help?"

"I can't go into work today. I am having the worst pain  I've ever had and I can't get out of bed right now. I'm in so much pain!"

"Well... I don't own a heating pad or anything..."

"Michael! Stop it! You've known [her boss's name] for years. I need you to help me with an excuse. You know him! Please!"

I was actually a wee-bit annoyed with her. Why does she need an "excuse"? She told me that she was in so much pain, that she could barely get out of bed. She is an honest, good employee and anybody would be proud to have her. She is excellent in every facet of her job.

The business owner- her boss-and I have been friends for about twenty-one years.

I am absolutely positive that my friend would be okay with the fact that she is hurting.

I am 100% positive.

I told her that all she had to do was call him and say the exact same thing she said to me. She did and he was fine with it.

Isn't the whole thing ironic?

Why are we so obsessed with lying in this culture? Or as humans?

I have a theory.

There is so much lying that honest people are now afraid to tell the truth because it's not well enough embellished. How can you call your boss with a severe migraine headache, when the girl in the cubical next to you lied and told the boss that her niece had luekemia last week, when she had a chance to fly to New Orleans and party for a couple of days?

The bar on lying keeps getting raised and it really puts me in an awkward position when I have to cancel a dinner appointmet because I have a pounding headache.