“The extent of the fear of the Truth is the truth of the extent of the lie.”
What does the “extent of the Lie” mean?
How much ground does that Lie cover? How many people has it reached and convinced of its veracity? Is it just a few or many? Is it a recent Lie or one of long endurance? How important is the Lie to the person’s life? Is the Lie necessary to support the person’s outward story? Is the Lie a necessary component of the person’s public persona?
The more important the Lie, the harder it will be to discover the truth of that Lie.
Why are we so afraid of the Truth?
People often fear the Truth, but particularly so when the Lie has set up shop in the entirety of a person’s life. If the Truth of the Lie is uncovered, the person fears that the Truth will expose him or her to scorn, derision, and all other sorts of negative emotions from those to whom the Lie has been told over the preceding days, months, or years. The Truth of the Lie will strip the person of his or her carefully created disguise, leaving the person standing in his or her emotional nakedness for the world to see. And judge.
That is when the fear of the Truth most often prevents us from looking at, and accepting, the truth of the Lie.
Scott Peck wrote a book about the People of Lie. People who concocted, nurtured, and promoted a Lie about themselves or their lives – with reckless disregard of the damage done to others – for the sole purpose of serving Self.
I have known one of these people.
When we are fearful of examining the Truth of the Lie, or Lies, we have created, we would be advised to consider the consequences of staying in the status quo, no matter how comfortable or necessary the Lie may feel.
Living the Lie kills. Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. But it will always kill.