It’s pretty common to feel angry when someone lies to you, especially if you can’t figure out why they’re lying, and you know the truth. The best way to deal with this situation is to realize that most people lie because they’re afraid of being punished or losing something if they tell the truth.
It’s an uncomfortable situation. You confront a friend or family member about something they’ve done wrong, only to have them deny it in your face. It’s confusing, it hurts, and sometimes you don’t even know what to do next—but more than anything else, it can be frustrating.
When a relationship is going well, it’s easy to overlook an individual’s weaknesses. However, when things turn south, these weaknesses are often amplified. Suppose a partner cheats on their spouse with their secretary, for example.
Dealing with people who lie is never easy. Still, you can take steps to try to limit or even prevent lying from happening in your relationships. It might be easiest to ask if a friend is lying about something small, like where they were last night.
Lying is a sign of immaturity. Everyone does it from time to time; some do it habitually. While lying is a normal part of human interaction, there are still ways for us to determine if someone is being deceptive with us.
Sometimes, being direct works: Tell them it hurts your feelings when they don’t tell you things honestly. Tell them why it matters that they trust you with what’s going on in their lives.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my experience with dating, those who aren’t being honest will never be worth your time. If they lie to you about minor things, they will eventually lie about big things.