How do I stop lying?

Question

I asked a question about this already and got some insightful answers about why I am so prone to lying—I think, as someone pointed out, I am afraid to take responsibility for my mistakes.
However, some of my lies don’t ever help me avoid responsibility in the least, so minor they are. And even if they did, I think I should stop anyhow.
What I’ve been doing so far was thinking, before I actually said something, is that true? Is that true? Recently I told the truth about how I broke my parents’ plate (I knocked it with my elbow into the sink—my lie would have been “fingers slipped on soap while washing dishes”).
But this is not easy. For hours, after a minor truth like that, my mind is racing if I could have lied somehow better.
Are there any better methods for keeping myself in check from lying?

Answer 1

Follow These Seven Steps To Stop Lying

1) You cannot stop lying if you have not admitted to yourself that you have. Staying in denial state of mind only prolongs your pain and reinforces behaviors that make you unhappy with yourself. Therefore - admit and accept responsibility.

2) Make a list of all the resources you already know that works for you. List the strategies that have worked for you in the past, in all areas of your life, to achieve any type of goal. (For example: I stay motivated by listening to motivational tapes and reading books.)

3) Keep a list of your lying slips - the times you fall of the wagon. Ask yourself: "Hey, what happened? (For example: I was feeling insecure about my actions, so I lied , because it make me feel better.)

This exercise is important because learning takes place when you start asking questions.

4) List the reasons why your lying did not address your problem. Ask yourself: "What didn't work here? Why not?" ( Example: Lying did not make me feel better; in fact it made me feel worse about myself - later.)

If you can learn as much as you can from one lie, then the next lie isn't quite so traumatic. Remember, it's more important to think of progress rather than perfection.

Or past lies and behaviors are only information. Use it to correct and improve your present and your future. I read somewhere, "If life is worth living it's worth recording."

5) Invest in an expensive diary and start recording your actions. Record your reasons for lying. And start a dialogue with yourself.

6) Recording your actions make you aware. And you need to develop the skills of awareness. You may be too critical of your self. Are you? When you tried to stop lying for one day and you failed, do you feel guilty? Do you play the negative images repeatedly in your mind?

Remember: you are not your behavior. When you feel bad and find fault with yourself, you empower your lying habit. The best solution is to become aware of the lie, disassociate yourself from it - because you are not your behavior - and record how it made you feel.

7) The next step is to become an effective risk taker, because progress in life is always going to involve risk. I had many fears and bad habits and I knew I had to take action.

For example, that's why I confronted my fear of heights and I Bungy jumped 110 meters from a bridge over the Zambezi river. What I have learned is to be in control of my destiny. And my destiny was limited by my fear. Not anymore!

I (you) must be willing to become and actor. Not a reactor. Even if you believe you cannot do it… just act as though you can - because from acting comes action and from repeated action comes believe.

Are you willing to Bungy jump the lying habit? Because you must be willing to risk failure. And by being prepared to take risk you'll out grow your lying habit. Make a list of all the scary risks and confront them.

If you start to take these actions you'll control your mind rather than your mind controlling you. Not only will you stop the lying habit you can use these steps to stop any bad habit.

Answer 2

sounds like you might be a pathological liar. This is somthing that means you are very prone to lying. Lies just slip out with out you noticing. Most ppl life because they don't like the truth, or don't want to get in more trouble. If you think about it would it really have made you feel any better to lie about the way you broke the plate, you still broke it it doesn't mater who you did it. My best advice for you is to think about what you say before you say it. what you did was the right thing about telling your parents the truth about the plate. Just think if you lie and say you make 12$ an hour at your job and you really make 10, do you think ppl are going to think you are that much of a beter person because you make 2 more $ an hour. Think about the resons why you lie. When you tell the truth go write down in a notebook how much beter you feel that you told the turth. If you catch yourself lying try to fix it and if you can't go write down how you feel after you tell a lie. lying can end up hurting more than the turth an dend up fallowing you when you get older to. try very hard to tell the turth. oh and ever sceen the movie liar liar check it out much luck Britt

Answer 3

Remember what we give our attention to grows...give your attention to the truth and the lies have no room to take over. When you do lie say out loud..that was a lie and then tell the truth and you will find out why you lied. Lieing mostly comes from fear, but it is not as much taking responsibility as it is hiding in your comfort zone, most children learn to lie to get out of pain. Then it becomes a habit. You need to make yourself realize that you are all grown up now and made it. And that the lies are no longer necessary. Soon as you do this you will realize why you lie and how to stop it. Self protection is sometimes in the gray lines to morals..but forgive yourself and gain greater knowledge of the truth no matter what subject you approach and in searching for the truth, you will smash the lies...Blessings.

Answer 4

U have to stop lying on ur own. Did they do something to u for u to lie to them? Lying isn't good in any relationship. U need to go and talk to someone about this lying that ur doing if u don't want to thats fine thats ur decision. But the more u lie and they catch u the more their not gonna trust u. Trust is a big part in any relationship No matter if it's family, friends or bf/gf's. Than u won't have anyone to talk to when u need someone to talk to when ur not lying. Ppl don't like liars. U need some help.

Answer 5

You have to have faith ,, trust ,,,but you are right fingers slipped on soap is easier to except then a careless elbow but to be honest the only thing that truely matters is not to throw a tantrum and pitch it up against the wall because you were trying to be bad for a minuet , thats all that realy counts ,,, any acident is part of life and totally understandable being a baby is ,,,, well take your dish and go ,we have better things to do then pick up the pieces of your bad behavior ,,,, metaphoricaly speeking that is

Answer 6

sometimes telling the truth is hard, but if you lie, you'll get into some twisted trouble and it'll be harder than telling the truth.
even if its a tiny itty bitty lie, lies have ways of getting big.

and when poeple find out that you are lying, they wont be able to trust you and you will lose friends.

trust me. i have ended friendships with people because they lie.

Answer 7

Just tell the truth and refuse to open your mouth when you think a lie wants to come out.

Answer 8

Why are you so scared of the truth??? The truth will set you free - but first it will p*ss you off! But lies will p*ss off everyone around you and you will end up one very lonely person!

Answer 9

The truth is for people who lack imagination.

Answer 10

Just be sure to slap yourself after you lie by mistake and you will eventually stop.