The Truth About Lies | Teen Ink

The Truth About Lies

December 15, 2011
By Valdrie Buford BRONZE, Destrehan, Louisiana
Valdrie Buford BRONZE, Destrehan, Louisiana
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

The invention of lying is a miraculous and wonderful concept. The world wouldn’t be able to revolve if it weren’t for lies. Lies become the sugar in life’s coffee. We’ve been lied to so often that it doesn’t phase the world anymore. We accept it as one of those things in life that we can’t change. It’s like receiving an awesome toy that you’ve wanted badly for Christmas only to find out that batteries are not included. Of course, you don’t like it but you have to accept it. For example, our teachers, the shapers of young minds and the developers of our future, lie to children on multiple occasions. They’ve lied to billions upon billions of kids. How many people were told that one day they were going to become President or an astronaut, only to become a fry cook at McDonalds?

Don’t assume parents don’t have a role in this either. For years I’ve been angry with a hefty bearded guy dressed in red because he has yet to deliver my pony. I spent many Christmas nights trying to catch a glimpse of the magical Mr. Claus climbing down the chimney. A curly-haired, sweet-toothed kid, my 9-year-old self learned that the several multi-racial Santa Clauses at any given mall were fakes. I had been lied to for 9 years of my life only to have that lie continue as I found out by the age of 13 that Santa Claus wasn’t real at all! In fact, every holiday figure that I’ve ever known and loved as a child is a complete farce and a testament to how much corporate America enjoys lying to little children.

Kids may seem to be the main focus of lies, but that isn’t true. Parents are gullible enough to believe the lies politicians say. Louisiana politicians, prime example and public enemy number one of this offence, have corrupt and crooked ways. Saying that they will help the community, many politicians’ main focus is maintaining your vote and getting re-elected. If they didn’t tell us what we wanted to hear, we wouldn’t vote for them. They say that they want to help the schools, but so far our schools still haven’t gotten any help. Even if they know they are wrong in lying to the people, some are ok with ling and are more focused on maintaining power. If that means that they have to lie to a few people then they’re ok with that.

Even if it sounds like we are being consistently being victims of these lies, we even lie to others. From adolescents to adulthood, we’ve all done it. It starts as kids who are afraid to get in trouble. For example, you horse around and break something, and to cover yourself, you lie and blame it on something or someone else. Even as we grow up, we constantly lie, sometimes in fear of getting in trouble or to get someone else in trouble. One subject teenagers constantly lie about is whether they did their homework or not. Another popular lie is that people “care about you” when their main purpose is to use you. The power of the lie never stops, not even when people reach adulthood. It’s a sad fact, but many people cheat and lie to their spouse. Lies seem to fill our dialogue more than the truth.

Even though the evidence makes lies seem horrible, lies aren’t necessarily a bad thing because at some times they can be good. For instance, lying to your friend about their surprise birthday party because you want the surprise to be special isn’t bad or hateful. Or maybe you lie to someone to protect his or her feelings from being hurt. At times we even lie to people when we know that they wouldn’t be able to handle the truth yet. With lies like these we consider that we lie to those that we care about. If we didn’t care about them or their feelings, would we lie to them like this?

What’s ironic is that the truth is that we are constantly bombarded with lies everyday. Consistently, we are lied to by news anchors, politicians, television ads, enemies, family, friends, and even ourselves. If we are lied to so often, how is it possible to understand truth if every second of our lives is filled with lies? Those we trust most may lie to us, and we accept it as truth. It’s a miracle people are able to trust one another at all, or possibly we are all just gullible. If this paper was just a lie like it says, then the reader may never lose a bit of sleep over it while laying their head down on a pillow as this paper lies beside them. Although it may make you wonder if anything can be accepted and believed as truth. No matter what it has become an accepted fact by everyone. In the end our world is filled with lies, powerful and cruel. Making lies one of our most powerful allies yet our constant foe. This makes me wonder where the truth lies.


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This article has 1 comment.


AvaJay GOLD said...
on Jan. 30 2012 at 12:12 pm
AvaJay GOLD, Spokane, Washington
13 articles 4 photos 184 comments

Favorite Quote:
Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not pray for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.
~ Tagore

This article really made me think. I don't agree with some of your opinions but congradulate you for throwing them out there. Yes, many parents lie to there children about holiday figures but not all. My parents always assured us that Santa clause was just for fun and a fat man in a red suit did not actually come down our chimney, and though knowing this deprived me of the excitement many children feel about Santa clause it saved me the disappointment later. I thought your article was well written and that you relayed your point very well. Also, your concluding sentence was very clever :)