The Honest Truth: Less Lying Improves Our Mental and Physical Health

Did you know that our being truthful is not only the right thing to do spiritually, but by lying less we can actually improve both our mental and physical health?

This interesting bit of news was referenced in a recent article on Axios, which in turn talked about a study from a few years back by the University of Notre Dame.

In that study, researchers asked one group of people to stop telling lies for 10 weeks, while a second group of people, the control group, was to continue as they had done before.

The group of people who stopped telling lies for the 10 weeks reported fewer instances of poor mental health, such as feeling tense or melancholy – as well as fewer physical symptoms, such as sore throats or headaches.

They also reported improvements in their relationships with friends and family, which does make sense, because when we DO lie, we lie most often to those closest to us.

More than half of all the lies we tell are told to friends, more than 20% to family members, while less than 10% of our lies are told to strangers. Thus, just by being more honest we naturally improve our relationships with our friends and family.

But it’s important for us to understand one thing: we’re not just talking about the BIG lies that people tell, but also the little white lies that so many of us get involved in. In fact, those little while lies make up nearly 90% of all the lies we tell.

Ironically, the BIG lies we tell are actually much easier to stop because they’re so obvious. We know when we tell them, put more thought into them, need to be more consistent telling them – and for most of us – we have our conscience clearly telling us that they’re wrong.

By contrast, those little white lies can sneak up on us and worm their way into how we habitually speak and act – often to the point that we hardly even notice that we told “a little fib” until the words are already out of our mouths.

Physically speaking, when we tell lies, regardless of whether they’re big or small lies, our bodies respond in a variety of ways, such as an increased heart rate, high blood pressure and elevated levels of stress hormones in the blood.

Over time, the constant repetition of these events can take a significant toll on our mental and physical health. Especially if, as many of us are wont to do, we have a habit of often telling those little white lies.

So, in our efforts to avoid lying we should recognize that we’re primarily talking about those little white lies that seem to naturally roll off our lips, or find their ways into our resumes and social media accounts.

Let’s focus, then, on what we can do to prevent those little white lies from getting started in the first place. Here are 3 things we can do to get back to being more honest.

First, don’t exaggerate. While exaggeration might seem a bit harmless in and of itself, in fact it is not only unnecessary, it actually clouds or poisons what is REALLY the truth. We’re taking the truth, and covering it up with something that is NOT true.

Second, avoid bragging or self-promotion. There’s nothing quite like bragging about oneself to bring out those little white lies. They’re in our resumes, our social media accounts, and even the way we talk on a daily basis. The more we do it, the more those little white lies take root.

Third, know when to be quiet. And by this I mean that if we are already in the habit of telling little white lies, the MORE we talk the MORE likely it is that we will exaggerate the truth or outright lie. Try talking less and listening more.

One major benefit to being more honest is that it can have ripple effects in every other area of our lives, especially our spiritual lives. Just being honest in what we say and do will help us get on that straight and narrow path toward the Kingdom of God.

From a biblical perspective, the teaching about how we need to be honest and truthful is a constant theme. While only the 9^th commandment specifically mentions not lying, both the 7^th and 8^th commandments involve the general trait of being honest.

And our being truthful is one of the more powerful ways to can separate ourselves from the things of this world – a world where dishonesty is often rewarded with money, fame and power.

In fact, being truthful is so profoundly part of what a Christian should be, that one of the major signs of the Antichrist is that he will throw truth to the ground, as if it were meaningless. The Antichrist simply does not care for the truth – which means that WE should.

None of us are perfect, as we have all told lies at some point. But we can change this habit of dishonesty by being aware of how those little white lies can creep into every aspect of our lives.

And our being honest will not only help us be mentally and physically healthier, it will help us find that straight and narrow path which leads to the Kingdom of God.

Thanks for watching, and if you care to leave a comment, please do. As always, kindly be respectful in any comment you leave, especially toward those with whom you disagree. I’ll talk to you guys soon. ♦