The Lying Society

From presidents lying to lobbyists bribing to everyday people cheating on taxes, dishonesty has become the norm in today's society. Within our culture, dishonesty is promoted everywhere -- in interpersonal relations, in our work, in our everyday affairs, in our politics. Consider the new Medicare prescription drug benefit that's pitched as "keeping our promise to seniors," or the doublespeak of allowing greater industrial pollution through the "Clear Skies" initiative.

It seems that the only time anyone, especially public officials, will admit to a mistake is when it's expedient to do so because there's no other recourse. This tendency to espouse honesty but practice dishonesty permeates life in America. Becoming inured to dishonesty, accepting it as normal, we increasingly accept the notion that the only reason not to do something is the possibility of getting caught.

As we become more and more set against each other, our trust and mutual reliance increasingly erodes. We feel we cannot count on anyone else but ourselves, and this creates profound feelings of alienation and insecurity. How can we stop lying? By somehow replacing our society's compulsive obsession with acquiring money and possessions -- the pursuit of material success -- with a newfound commitment to community and connectedness.