Lying does not come easily to me. Even flattery – what we call mamaguy – is hard for me if what I’m saying is untruthful; any flattering thing I say is based on truth.
However, the world is filled with people who think that lies are just par for the course.
Politicians, for example, think nothing of lying to the electorate so that they can win elections or get their way. What we see right now in the US with the current president and his cronies willingly distorting the truth, being called out, and still getting away with it, is a really extreme case. Denying the truth (“fake news”), shooting the messengers (attacking reporters and whistleblowers), and pandering to emotions rather than fact, are all tools of the pathological liers.
With the US leading the way with these distortions, others will be quick to follow suit. It’s only a matter of time before the politicians in smaller democracies find themselves doing the same, or even worse. I mean, if one of the “greatest” democracies can act like that?
With the elections of my country in the air right now, I’m concerned that we will begin to act that way. I’ve already seen videos being shared about with fake facts, and some repeating consistent allegations (like money for votes). It shows how much we have not grown as a people.