Understanding the Impact of Lying

Many people tend to violate the 9th Commandment because they do not take their own words very seriously. They do not understand the kind of impact their lies can have on the lives of others. They think that because they say things casually and in light, others will also take their words lightly. However, this is not always the case.

For example, an employee is asked by his supervisor what he thinks of his new colleague. Because the employee and the supervisor have a casual and friendly relationship, the employee does not think twice about what he says, assuming his supervisor won’t take him too seriously anyway. He then begins to exaggerate when speaking of some things said and done by his new colleague. He does this to insert humour into the conversation, as well as to amuse his supervisor. However, what he does not anticipate is that his supervisor is taking his words very seriously.

Because of the employee’s lies, the new colleague is not treated with respect by the supervisor. The supervisor has formed a negative impression about this newcomer. He then makes his work more difficult than it should be, simply because of his false impressions.

No matter what kind of context you are in, saying something untrue about another person is unfair, disrespectful, and intrinsically deceptive. Even if you do not mean to harm the person whom you are speaking of, you cannot control how your words will affect him or her later on. It is better to keep quiet and avoid the risk of damaging another’s name, than to thoughtlessly bear witness.