I have a friend who whenever he is sad or scared or tired, will rub his stomach, inform whomever he is talking to, and they will tell him, "Gary, everything is going to be OK." His mom started it and he's been doing it since he was a little boy. All of his friends are well trained to spout these words in a sympathetic tone when he cues them with "I'm rubbing my stomach right now." This lie instantly makes him feel comforted from whatever is going on. Security is found in routines. Routines just give a false sense of control, telling yourself that life is exactly as you want it because you can make this routine happen again and again.
Those lies are really the only ones I ever tell. "I'm almost done with my homework." at 10:30 as my parents are telling me its time for me to go to bed, then taking my laptop back out as soon as I think they're asleep. I know that I have work I have to do, but it makes them happier thinking that I didn't procrastinate. Every once and a while, it'll come up, but usually they're just blissful in their ignorance. I lie when I'm late to places, making up excuses that are either more elaborate or realistic (the opposite of whichever is actually true) out of guilt that I wasn't prompt in my arrival. Usually these lies aren't even used though, they're just keeping my mind busy so it'll stop making my stomach quiver.
Lying isn't really a problem. Sometimes I feel like I do it too often, but what the people around me have more of a problem with is my honesty. I have never once hurt a friend by lying to them, but have many times expressed my opinions much too bluntly and upset people I loved. So maybe lying isn't such a bad thing, and I should do it more often. Because a false sense of safety and happiness is better than needlessly doubting yourself or the circumstances in when you have no control. So instead of pointing out the ways they could fail, I'm just going to repeat that everything is going to be alright.
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