Low Self-Esteem
Lying is a violation of one of society’s fundamental moral values—honesty. This breach not only leads to feelings of guilt but also adversely affects an individual’s self-esteem over time. The disparity between the persona that a liar presents to others and the genuine self they feel within can widen significantly.
Negative Impact on Physical and Mental Health
A study conducted by Dr. Anita Kelly and Dr. Lejwan Wang at the University of Notre Dame examined 110 participants over a period of ten weeks. Half of the participants ceased lying, and the findings indicated a significant improvement in their physical health. In another study, individuals who reported lying less frequently noted greater enhancements in both their physical and mental well-being, experiencing fewer difficulties and less stress during sleep, along with a reduction in headaches.
Failure of Social Relationships
Establishing any social relationship on the foundation of deceit is akin to constructing a house on quicksand. This means that it is impossible to maintain deep connections with others through lies. When a person speaks contrary to their beliefs, they fail to be understood by others and do not feel genuinely loved for their true self.
Psychological Effort
Lying demands considerable psychological effort. When an individual tells the truth, they merely need to recall actual events to recount them accurately. In contrast, lying requires the individual to conceal what they are trying to hide, devise plausible and believable stories, and communicate in a manner that convinces others of their falsehood. They must also remember the lie at all times to avoid being exposed. This psychological burden manifests as feelings of stress, pressure, and anxiety regarding their deception. This is supported by polygraph tests, which do not solely detect lies but rather measure the stress indicators present in a person while they are lying.