Lies: The Gray Area

I try as much as I can not to tell lies. I have had encounters with people who are chronic liars. Growing up, one of my friends in church was known for telling lies. He might walk up to you and start telling you how his father bought two brand new jeeps and gifted one to him. At some point, everyone knew him for who he was—a chronic liar. His lifestyle made me realize something about telling lies; it often starts in childhood. The way parents raise their kids can determine how they turn out to be in terms of honesty. For example, if a parent tells their kids to say to visitors that they are not at home while they hide in the wardrobe, lying can gradually become a part of them. Growing up, I had little or no reason to tell lies. Whatever answer I gave, my parents, especially my mom, always knew the best way to handle matters. So most times, I tell the truth. Biblical teachings in church also helped me in this regard. My Sunday school teachers rang it in our ears that lying is a sin and that we should abstain from it. They also scared us with scary stories.

As I grew older, I started to realize that my perspective on life was different from the one I had as a child. As a child, my mantra was “Do not tell lies no matter what. Lying is evil and only bad kids tell lies.” With time, I realized that as humans, there are times we need to tell lies; whether it is to get out of a difficult situation or to change the outcome of something, sometimes telling lies is for the best reasons. However, as I mentioned above, I try as much as I can not to tell lies. Before I tell a lie, I always consider these things; what will I gain if I tell a lie? Will the person beat or hate me if I tell the truth? I don’t tell lies to feed my ego, I only tell lies when it is the last resort to get out of a difficult situation. For today’s Hive Learners topic, the community asks us if there is a time when it is acceptable to tell a lie. When is it justifiable to tell a lie?

As much as I don’t like telling lies, there are times when I tell lies to get out of a difficult situation, especially if it is for someone in authority. I remember during my first year, I was still new to the whole university setting. It was during exams and we were given a clearance form that had to be shown to the invigilator before entering the exam hall. Meaning that without that clearance form, you will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. Before leaving the house, I checked and saw that the clearance paper was inside my bag. Or so I thought. It wasn’t until I got to school and was in the queue to enter the exam hall that I realized it was missing. I couldn’t go back home because my hostel was really far.

When it was my turn, I told the invigilator that I hadn't been given the clearance form yet and that I had issues with my school fees, which the HOD was supposed to resolve soon. I don't know where those lies came from, but they were pretty slick and flowed freely. Luckily, the invigilator believed me and allowed me to enter. When I got home that day, I saw that I had left the clearance paper on my bed. Would the invigilator have allowed me to enter if I had told her the truth? Mind you, invigilators in my school are very strict; they're not willing to listen to excuses. Sometimes, I wonder if they have human emotions. I believe that if I had told her the truth, even if she had allowed me to enter, she would have wasted my time, and that would have thrown me off.

Everything I read would vanish from my head, making it difficult for me to focus in the exam hall. Lying is not something cool to do, but sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have no other choice but to tell lies. I hate getting into situations like this, but sometimes we cannot help it.

Thanks for reading.