I guess many of you have heard this tons and tons of time before: "Lying is bad." Our parents told us, our teachers told us, every kid growing must have heard this sentence at least one from their guardians. But, no one has really told us that, why? Why is lying bad? Especially as we grow up, we see that lying, on a societal scale, is actually not..that bad at all. Lies can be useful in many ways, and there are certain times when being truthful is actually not good. So what? Lying is good? Should we lie? Absolutely not, and i want to figure it out for myself. I want to understand why is lying bad, especially when it comes to social and personal relationships. First off, Mark Twain once said "If you're telling the truth, you dont have to remember anything." The more i live, the more i understand this sentence. Because the thing with lying is, it is like a Hydra. You can't just lie about one thing, more lies just keep spawning from your initial one. For example, you lie to your parents about coming to a friend's house to go to a party. You would have to also lie about that "friend" of yours, about where and when the event takes place, what you will be doing there. The troublesome part comes after the party, when your parents decide they want to ask about your sleepover, so now you have to lie even more about it. The only way to get away with lying, is a lie. But can people really get away with lying, though? The answer is not, no one can. You might think to yourself oh im fine, nothing happened. Maybe for now, but what about 5 years, 10 year from now? Another thing about lying is, by telling a lie, you are going against reality. And no one, since we aren't living in a fictional world, can bend or fight against reality. It always comes out on top. You don't want to have a force of nature going against you, would you? Another point to be made here is how lies affect relationships. You may, or may not, know that a fundamental value that our society is based on is trust. And you see this in every aspect, every social interaction we make with anyone, even to ourselves. "Do i trust this person" is often one of the most, if not the most important question one may ask when engaging in a business/personal relationship. And if mutual trust can't be maintained during the process, the relationship is destined to doom. A study case i want to look at is the marriage of Barney and Robin from How I Met Your Mother. Many people adore their relationship and marriage, but i think otherwise. Take a look at this conversation that plays a huge part in their relationship. Robin Scherbatsky : [Barney tries to explain to Robin why the Playbook still exists]  "You really think this is just about a book Barney? You lied to me, and if we're gonna be in a marriage and trust each other, you can't lie to me. Ever." Barney Stinson : "Really, well that's just great, because in case you haven't noticed, these last eight years, lying is what I do best." [Begins pulling out various magic tricks]  Barney Stinson : "I'm a magician, Robin. Misdirection and deceit are my stock and trade. You don't want me to lie to you? Lies are the reason that we're together. Every single thing I did to you to get you to say "Yes" to me on that rooftop - Patrice, the false engagement, everything - it was all utter malarkey, but underneath... all of those lies is one true thing - one true thing that can support the weight of all the lies in the world and that's the fact that I love you, and you know that when I say that, I'm not lying." You see right from the beginning, Robin demands not being lied to, and in the context of the show, she has REALLY REALLY big trust issue. As for Barney, he doesn't know how to tell the truth about his feelings. His whole life has been a major "playbook" to him after getting dumped by his ex. And for the first time, when he finally realises his true feeling, the guy just goes and uses the way he knows best, lying to show it to Robin. Some may argue that the last part is the important part, because he truly loved her, but he didnt know how to tell her. But isnt everything else matters as well? Like, you can't justify lying by saying it is for a good cause. Imagine building a house and using plastic as materials since you know, you can't get anything else and this is for a good cause, how would that be like? And my point is proven in the show, as the couple broken later on. So my point is, a relationship does not just appear out of thin air, it is built and we are the ones laying brick by brick. And the truth is the cement that holds everything together, keeps the relationship strong and healthy. Everytime you lie, you leave a crack open, and in time, there comes a point when that tiny crack that youve forgotten will shatter your precious relationship. So, you probably should stop lying from now, don't you think?