The 1883 children’s novel ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, depicts an animated puppet whose nose grows longer each time he tells a lie. There are no restrictions on the length of Pinocchio’s nose. At one point, Pinocchio’s nose grows so long from constant lying, that he could not get it through the door of a room. We may laugh at this fable as our noses don’t grow when we lie. However, research suggests that when a person anticipates telling a lie or actually tells a lie the choice or behaviour is not only reflected in the mind but also in the brain and the body. Pinocchio is not so far off after all.
A pause here for some clarification about the relationship between the brain and the mind. The brain is a physical organ in the body in which the mind is located. The mind expresses the thoughts, perceptions, emotions, decisions, memories, imaginations that occur within the brain.
Now back to the issue at hand.
Let’s look inward for a minute. When we tell a lie, separate and apart from the fear of being found out, what other spectre arises?
- In addition to deceiving another/others, we also deceive ourselves
- We get confused and we confuse others
- We put ourselves in danger of developing a distorted concept of morality i.e., right and wrong
- Our lies distort our dreams and desires
- We experience cognitive dissonance i.e., our behaviour is inconsistent with our thoughts, beliefs and/or attitudes. This is especially true of Christians and was aptly described by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 after which he concluded ‘Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
When we lie, we can feel it. The exception, habitual liars, who are described in the bible as persons whose consciences are seared.
Lying affects our brain
Lying depletes our cognitive resources which endangers our health. Simply put, the executive control areas of our brain, which are involved in complex mental processes like working memory and impulse control, get so bogged down with the lie that they can’t effectively handle their other functions like stress regulation. Lying is hard brain work!
Lying affects our bodies
Deep and very often, complex links between our behaviour, mind, and body suggest that lies are embodied i.e., become visible/tangible. Lying accelerates the heart and respiration rates, dilates the pupils of the eye and increases the skin conductance response (an involuntary response to a stimulus, in this case, a lie). This is the biology behind the polygraph instrument which has been widely used to test when a person is lying. Greater health issues arise when the heart rate and blood pressure are constantly elevated due to lying. Examples include thyroid disorder and diabetes.
Lying and our mental health
Not surprisingly, lying has a deleterious effect on our mental health. When you tell a lie, you are keeping a secret. The act of concealing gives weight and power to the secret which grows bigger, more frightening and more real with time. It then becomes an uncomfortable and consuming experience. Think of the sense of relief, like a burden being lifted, that you feel when you finally confess the truth after a period of propagating a lie.
Lies require high maintenance. Each time you tell one, you have to remember what you said to maintain the fib. This wears you out. Imagine you told a lie to each significant person in your life, say for example, about your profession; and these persons get together to celebrate one of your birthdays. Disaster right? Especially if your profession is a big thing to those persons.
Lies are usually a covering for deeper issues. The more these issues are submerged under piles of lies, the more problems you take on to yourself, increasing the stress and strain on your life.
Anxiety is one outcome of lying, as the liar tends to worry about being caught, which can cause panic. Ironically, people often tell lies to prevent feelings of anxiety.
Isolation may result from lying. Instead of being relaxed and enjoying life, lies mandate that you keep a constant tab on who knows what and what you said to whom. Forgetting snippets of your stories and the effort of trying to keep them straight will possibly cause you to avoid engaging with these persons.
Trust and safety are bedfellows. Telling lies over time creates a deep sense of fear and insecurity which affects all your relationships be they professional, platonic or romantic.
A liar’s self-esteem takes a beating each time he/she lies. Lying to conceal something important to yourself or because you are unable to deal with the truth, is selfhood depleting.
Get the picture! The conclusion of the matter is – It is always better, to tell the truth!
COVID-19 still a keep – suh (so) Christmas Cancel
Lie! What is the reason for the season? Christians celebrate Christmas to remember our Savior who entered the human experience as a baby with the sole intent of dying so that we might live. Jesus is the reason for the season and He far supersedes the nefarious effects of the current pandemic. Jesus is – Above all powers, above all thrones above all wonders the world has ever known. Above all wealth and treasures of the earth. There’s no way to measure His worth. Crucified, laid behind a stone. He lived to die, rejected and alone. Like a rose trampled on the ground. He took the fall and thought of me, of us… Above all. (Michael W. Smith, 2001). This Christmas let us set our minds on HIM.
I would love to hear from you. Shoot me an email at ahermittsmusings@gmail.com.
Sharon E. Hermitt
Managing Director
HRWisdom Limited & Sexual Shalom Global Outreach
December 17, 2020