Lying

by Sam Harris

To lie is to intentionally mislead others when they expect honest communication.

People lie so that others will form beliefs that are not true. The more consequential the beliefs—that is, the more a person’s well-being demands a correct understanding of the world or of other people’s opinions—the more consequential the lie.

believing one thing while intending to communicate another that every lie is born.

Honesty is a gift we can give to others. It is also a source of power and an engine of simplicity. Knowing that we will attempt to tell the truth, whatever the circumstances, leaves us with little to prepare for. Knowing that we told the truth in the past leaves us with nothing to keep track of. We can simply be ourselves in every moment.

In many circumstances in life, false encouragement can be very costly to another person.

encouragement is a kind of theft: It steals time, energy, and motivation that a person could put toward some other purpose.

commitment to honesty does not necessarily require that we disclose facts about ourselves that we would prefer to keep private.

When you tell the truth, you have nothing to keep track of.

To lie is to erect a boundary between the truth we are living and the perception others have of us.