别对我撒谎

We tell ourselves lies every day. We pretend we don’t see the homeless man who is really in need on the street, extending his hand, begging for a buck. We lie to ourselves because it’s easier than looking him in the eye and seeing the anguish that comes with a life we could never fully understand. Lies flow from us all the time. For some, it comes easy, others are terrible liars. At first, lies can make us feel good, but be careful―more often than not, they will come back and bite us on the butt.

This month, our feature articles take a very honest look at lies. First up, we look at the connection between lying and gender. Do Men or Women Lie the Most? sees doctors and sociologists weighing in on the issue and explaining the differences between the sexes. The key message they present: be truthful at any cost.

In Cultivating a Lie we track the journey of a lie and explore the fine line between a half-truth and a full-blown lie. We discover that there really are no happy endings to a lie, and find that honesty really is the best policy.

The consequences of lying are further demonstrated in Angel at the Fence, a disturbing example of how lies can snowball out of our control. One man shows that he is willing to go to any lengths to keep his lie alive―until he is caught out. What was the biggest lie you have ever caught someone out on? With some tips from Six of the Most Common Lying Gestures you can be sure to spot a liar from a mile away.

Lies represent the darkest side of human nature. On the flip side is honesty―a human quality that brightens the streets we walk on, the streets the homeless man roams. When you see him, don’t turn a blind eye. Give him a dollar, or, at the very least, give him a warm, sincere smile.

每一天,我们都对自己撒谎。我们假装自己没有看见大街上那伸手讨钱,确实需要帮助的流浪汉。我们这么做是因为,比起直视他而看见那种我们从来不能完全理解的生活所带来的痛苦,欺骗自己相对轻松。我们一直谎言不断。对有些人来说,说谎很容易;而有些人则是很厉害的说谎者。起初,谎言可能会使我们感觉良好,不过要小心――它们时常会回头反咬我们一口。

这个月,我们在主题故事里坦诚地说说“谎言”。首先,我们看看撒谎和性别之间的关系。《男人Vs. 女人:谁才是大话王?》一文中,一些学者和社会学家就这一话题表达了各自的看法,并解释了男女撒谎的不同之处。他们传递出的关键信息是:无论如何都要诚实。

在《谎言之“罪”》一文里,我们追寻谎言的足迹,去探究“闪烁其词”和“彻底假话”之间的细微界线。从中我们发现,谎言真的不会带来快乐的结局,诚实的确是上策。

撒谎的恶果在《铁丝网外的天使》一文中得到了更进一步的展现。这个令人不安的事例让我们看到了谎言是如何像滚雪球一样越来越大,进而变得失控。为圆谎,文中的主人公无所不用其技――直到被拆穿。你曾揭穿过他人什么样的弥天大谎呢?借助《六个最常见的说谎小动作》一文提供的一些小技巧,你肯定能轻而易举地看穿那些大话王。

谎言代表着人性中最黑暗的一面。它的反面是诚实――这种人类品质会照亮我们穿行的街道,照亮流浪汉所徘徊的街头。当你看见他时,不要视而不见。给他一美元,或者,最起码,给他一个温暖而真诚的微笑。

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