I would like to share a story with my dear readers on the saying, ‘The rope of lies is short’.
There was a rich merchant who had dozens of servants and one day, one of them stole a bag of money containing a thousand dinars.
When the servants were confronted, they swore that they did not steal the money, which confused the merchant. He devised a clever trick to uncover the truth. He gave each servant a rope half a metre long and told them: the thief’s rope will increase in length by 10cm and he ordered them all to come to him the next morning, each one with his rope, and indeed, everyone came, with the ropes that he gave them, and they were the same length, except for one which was 10cm shorter. The merchant thus discovered who the thief was as he had cut 10cm from the rope given to him.
This proverb is used to emphasise that no matter how long it takes, the truth will be uncovered.
Lying is one of the negative traits that may affect social relationships. An individual may simply lie or exhibit more complex behaviours, such as spreading rumours or misleading others. This phenomenon can be seen in personal relationships, work, and even the media.
One of the reasons for spreading falsehoods is the fear of punishment. Many resort to lying to avoid consequences, to get rid of a responsibility or achieve personal gains, and some lie to enhance their status or achieve material or social goals.
Social pressures can also make individuals feel the need to lie to become accepted within their environment or to avoid criticism.
The lack of self-confidence may prompt some individuals to lie to enhance their image in front of others. Not to mention that some grow up in environments that consider lying as a means of solving problems or dealing with others.
Such behaviour destroys trust between individuals, whether in personal or professional relationships, which leads to the collapse of social ties. Spreading lies leads to the creation of a society full of doubt and instability, where it becomes difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Children should learn honesty and integrity from their family and they should also be taught about these values in school. We need to provide psychological support and teach individuals how to express their feelings honestly without fear of judgment or criticism. It is also necessary to implement laws or policies that encourage transparency and accountability in all areas.
In our eastern societies, unfortunately, and since our childhood, the principle of lying is a given. We see parents giving children incorrect information. While they may be doing it with good intentions, exaggerations can have negative effects. Therefore, changing this culture is necessary, even inevitable.
Awareness, education and strengthening the values of honesty can contribute to building a more cohesive society and trust among its members.
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