Hey!, Wanna See Some Sin?
"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and . . . their sins." Isa. 58:1
22. Lies
22.22. The Lying Test: Am I a Liar?
The following questions concern some of the opportunities we have to lie.
At school: Do you ever . . . ?
On the job: Do you ever . . . ?
With family: Do you ever . . . ?
With friends: Do you ever . . . ?
On the phone: Do you ever . . . ?
On the Internet: Do you ever . . . ?
While shopping: Do you ever . . . ?
In your own mind: Do you ever . . . ?
- pretend to be some thing, or some one other than who and what you really are?
- smile, while hiding your true feelings about people, activities, or situations?
- say one thing while thinking something different or totally opposite?
- answer questions according to what you think the other person wants to hear, rather than the truth?
- act interested when you are bored?
- express agreement just to avoid an argument?
- make promises which you do not intend to keep?
- say one thing aloud, while silently qualifying your statement to yourself?
- use an excuse to qualify a previous untrue statement?
10 - use an excuse to attempt to justify your acts of omission or commission?
- withhold certain facts and overemphasize others to lead your listener to your desired conclusion?
- omit the positive and emphasize the negative in order to obtain sympathy for yourself?
- pretend to "forget" or pretend to have "misunderstood" when it suits your purposes?
- blame others for your problems or mistakes?
- say anything other than what you are thinking out of fear of the consequences?
- use evasive answers to avoid telling the truth?
- imagine yourself to possess a desirable trait, while everyone around you reacts otherwise?
- accept only those who agree with you as having the truth?
- allege a noble reason for fulfilling a selfish desire?
20 - use unrevealed exaggeration to get or hold the attention of others?
- claim to want the truth when you truly want anything else?
- claim to be offended by liars and by lying, and yet you lie to others?
- condemn the lying of others, but relabel your lies with softer sounding names?
- accept and reject lies from others as it suits your personal interests?
- pretend that a lie is the truth merely because you want it to be the truth?
- hear only what you want to hear and ignore the rest?
- claim that an untruth is "for their own good"?
- claim that "the truth will do more harm than good"?
- place others in a position of having to choose whether to lie in order to spare your feelings?
30 - lie without remorse, without any loss of self-respect, without any guilt?
- have trouble remembering what the previous lie was?
- struggle to qualify a previous lie, in order to avoid the appearance of having lied?
- tell yourself that you can usually tell when others are lying to you?
- tell yourself that if it concerns something unimportant, then the truth doesn't matter?
- tell yourself that as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, the truth doesn't matter?
- tell yourself or others that some lies (xmas, easter bunny, social flattery) are better than the truth?
- tell yourself that you lie less than others do?
- attribute your selfish desires to others? ("It was your father's idea.")
- practice denial?
40 - attempt to justify having double standards?
- put a "spin" on the actions or words of others to make yourself appear to be a victim?
- say anything other than the truth in order to manipulate others?
- pay insincere compliments in order to appear friendly?
- withhold critical information in order to appear more desirable?
- use unrevealed exaggeration to enhance your reputation?
- say something other than the truth to avoid an unpleasant situation?
- lie at the request of, or by orders from another person?
- make up excuses in place of the real reason for your personal failures?
- make unrealistic claims or promises?
50 - purposely use unverifiable "facts" or "sources", because they are impossible to verify?
- change the context, or relevance, or goal, if you find yourself losing?
- blame your negative behavior on others ("I was following orders.", "Everyone does it."), on genetics ("I'm Irish.", "It was my mother's fault."), on environment ("Where I come from . . ."), on conspiracies (the mysterious "They"), or on the paranormal ("The devil made me do it.", "It was aliens.")?
- blame your negative behavior on chemicals ("It was the drugs I did, man!", "Man! I need some drugs!", "I need a different prescription.", "It's the air pollution, man!")?
- tell yourself, "That (good luck, bad luck, disease, death) only happens to others. It will never happen to me"?
- tell yourself or others that some lying is necessary in order to compete equally with others?
- help others cover up lies or deceit?
- make excuses for the lies or deceit of others?
- deliberately deceive others by purposely remaining silent?
- provide something other than was was stated or promised, for selfish purposes? (cheaper product, different medications)
60 - state something other than the absolute truth in order to feel better about yourself?
- state something other than the absolute truth in order to avoid rejection by others?
- ignore a problem in the belief that by ignoring it, it doesn't exist?
- gossip destructively about others while using the excuses of "need to know", "concern", or "you might want to pray for them."?
- use lies to hide from reality?
- qualify the statements of others to avoid facing the truth?
- feel that the world revolves around you, therefore you must reshape reality to suit yourself?
- feel that it is okay to lie to those who have lied, or whom you believe have lied to you?
- lie only when you think you can get away with it?
- feel panic at the thought of telling the truth?
70 - lie only when you think the stakes are high enough to justify it?
- lie only when you think the subject is unimportant?
- tell yourself that the only choice in any particular situation is whether to lie or not?
- tell yourself or others that your lie was an exception which will not be repeated, and should therefore be overlooked?
- tell yourself that lying is okay as long as you don't get caught?
- feel that lying is justified against those who have wronged you, or whom you imagine to have wronged you?
- feel that being "loose" with the facts or giving inaccurate details is not lying?
- lie while telling yourself that your motives are "pure"?
- tell anything other than the truth in order to maintain your imagined status in a social circle?
- make up something rather than admit that you have no answers?
80 - lie because it is easier than telling the truth?
- lie to "teach (someone) a lesson"?
- lie or distort the facts simply in order to annoy someone?
- lie to redirect the listener away from the subject at hand or toward another subject?
- lie to win an argument, to prove yourself right, or to prove someone else wrong?
- redefine personal events or personal history to support your current position on a matter?
- feel that you cannot live without lying? (Lying addiction.)
- lie because to do otherwise would require effort to change your behavior?
- use body language, or facial expressions, or gestures to mislead your audience?
- when caught, pretend that the lie was "a joke", that you were "just joking"?
90 - believe that we should "lie for the greater good"?
- deceive by being vague, or confusing?
- justify present behavior by redefining past events or qualifying previous statements?
- express concern or empathy when you really don't care?
- use criticism as a deception or a way of misdirection?
- withhold information concerning a death or illness, "for (someone's) own good"?
- lie by relating a false memory?
- confuse fantasy with the truth?
- claim an inability (to do something) when the truth is you don't want to do it?
- lie by minimization of your problem or your contribution to a problem?
100 - pretend to be sick, or to actually make yourself sick to avoid a task or situation?
- say one thing to a person's face and something different behind their back?
- pretend to be a friend but gossip, criticize and complain about the person to others?
- exaggerate events or enhance information as you pass it on to others?
- make any statement in place of admitting, "I made a mistake."?
- grudgingly give a token gift out of a feeling of debt or in the hope of getting something of value in return?
- ignore critical facts and admit to or claim only those facts which allow you to "rise above" the situation and above the others involved?
- claim the good advice or good ideas of others as your own?
- blame all your failures on others?
- fail to keep promises?
110 - claiming noble motives for ignoble actions? (Claiming "concern" while "snooping" or "personal interest" while "being nosy".)
- feigning pain or suffering in order to obtain sympathy or to coerce others to do something for you?
- make threats you do not intend to carry out?
- pretend to be ignorant of events or persons when you have full knowledge?
- lie if you think telling the truth will cost you more money?
- keep telling yourself that you will change or eliminate a bad habit "eventually"?
- justify your lying with references to accounts in the Bible?
- justify your lying by referencing "church" opinions?
- avoid information that makes you uncomfortable? (Hiding from the truth.)
- ignore the 99 who disagree with you and claim the one who does agree as proof of truth?
120 - modify your memory to fit your current agenda?
- pretend every lie you tell will be the last one?
- believe that sincere motives are more important than truth?
- refuse to admit to ever having practiced self-deception?
- lie to yourself in order to maintain a positive self-image?
- become angry or defensive when others question your vision of reality?
- been willing to sacrifice others in order to preserve your self-image?
- believe that truth is relative?
- believe that there is no absolute truth?
- believe that each individual determines the truth for himself/herself?
130 - find that the more you lie, the easier it becomes?
- find that telling the truth is becoming increasingly difficult?
- profess to have faith in God's promises but feel you must be untruthful to make life work?
- tell yourself that "God will understand." why you lied and not hold it against you?
- refuse to consider the full extent of your lying because of the discomfort of self-examination?
- tell yourself that lying is okay because "Everybody does it."
- tell yourself that lying is always an option?
- tell yourself that "in this case, lying is my only option"?
- claim that a lie by any other name is not really a lie?
- claim that lying is sometimes necessary?
140 - claim that some lying can be justified?
- lie out of anger or to get revenge?
- tell a lie without even thinking about it?
- believe your own lies?
- believe that you are not a "liar"?
If you answered yes to any one of the questions above, you are a liar. If you answered no to most or all of the questions above, you are a liar.
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8).
We have all lied. The question is whether we shall stop lying or not? As Christ told the prostitute, "Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more." (Jn. 8:11).
For a better understanding of how much we all lie to one another, check the index.
Copyright 2002 M.H. and G.H. All rights reserved.