Have you ever worked with others in the workplace that were just obnoxiously liars? I used to call them the "bigger fish" story tellers. Office cooler or shop talk amongst co-workers when one tells a story of something in their life, that one dude would always interject with a crazier story. "I caught a bigger fish than you." That is the person that I'm talking about.
Here is something that you may have experienced in the workplace. You have co-workers, you either work with or are direct reports to you, especially those that report to you, that tell tall tales. You ask about something, and they always have some weird excuse, and at first. You cannot tell if it is the truth or not. But after so many weird one-off types of excuses that no one else has ever experienced or shared, then you begin to wonder.
Why is it that employees, or should I say people in general, have to make up a false excuse? Are they afraid of looking bad? Are they afraid of the consequences for telling the truth? Have they been conditioned that way for a long time, since childhood? Whatever it is, they seem to have a fear of something. So, they hide behind the fake facade of lies and tall tales.
This made me look within myself and wonder if I'm the one that they fear? If so, is it possible to gain the trust of a person that tells tall tales to be honest and factual about their misses, shortcomings, failures, losses or others that put us back or behind?
I can probably understand them. I have many times spoken the truth about my thoughts, opinions, facts or feelings about something. Sometimes it caught up in emotions and that can get you in trouble. I have observed that some people don’t want to know the truth or really don't want to understand your point of view because they are so worried about themselves to take stock in your honesty, so they rather hear the lie.
So if the truth can nick and cut you, and can even hurt your career, but for all those that fear telling the truth, for whatever reason, the tall tales and lies will eat you alive from inside of you, or you will get so accustomed to it that eventually it will do you in. I've seen the people that always seem to lie and even though they get by for a long time with that mindset, eventually it does all come back to haunt them. I've seen it too many times.
Speak the truth for yourself and knowing that the consequences that follow will be one that you can honesty learn from. I don't think you can learn much by telling lies.
