Do you remember the game “2 Truths, 1 Lie”? It’s a game that many of us played as kids where everyone sat around and took turns sharing three statements: Two truths and one lie. One person would share at a time and the rest of the players would have to guess which statements were truthful and which statement was a lie. I have many memories playing this as a kid, but as an adult I’m realizing just how sinister that game may have been.
When we played as a kid, it seemed innocent. Kids were sharing a few fun facts about themselves or their lives and one half-truth or blatantly false statement. What we didn’t realize then was that this game was teaching us how to craft the perfect lie. Think about it. In order to make a lie sound believable, it has to have pieces of truth. It starts with a simple truth and twists it until it sounds plausible. I want to play a round with you so you can see what I mean. In this version, I’m going to give you the statement and then some context to help you decide which is the lie. Ready?
Statement # 1 – I’ve had pretty bad asthma since I was a kid.
I was born with the condition and I’ve had it all my life. In the beginning, my parents didn’t know I had asthma, just knew something was wrong with me. Unfortunately, I was sick literally every day of my life from birth until about age 6 and because of that, I was in the hospital just about every 6 months. Ultimately, my parents threatened (and yes, I use that term loosely) the medial staff that they would leave me at the hospital until they could figure out what was wrong. I still have asthma today and as a fully functioning adult, my lung capacity is about 60% functioning when compared to a normal adult without asthma. Crazy, right?
Statement # 2 – I get up earlier than my family every single day.
Getting up early is important to me because it helps me start my day off on the right foot. Where everyone else is sleeping, I have some time to review my calendar, plan for the day and week ahead of me and even get some work done if I have time. On occasion, I’ll do some stretches or yoga to get my moving and warmed up. Whenever I have a morning like this, I feel so incredibly productive and feel like I don’t even need coffee to wake me up because I’m already so awake. Having a morning like this every day is a MUST for me and anyone else that wants to make progress in their life.
Statement # 3 – My favorite sport is soccer.
I’ve literally played the sport as long as I can remember. I think since age six or seven. My parents got me into the sport because the doctor’s told them I had to do some sort of physical activity. Sitting still, all day, every day, just wasn’t the best option. On my first team, I played every position on the field – goalie, defense and offense. I ended up falling in love with goalie, which is ironic because I’m only 4’10” but also a blessing because I couldn’t run. Despite loving goalie so much, I played offense when I was in Ireland on an international club team and scored my first goal. I still play to this day and every year I say it’s going to be my last, but when the next season comes around again, miraculously I sign up.
Do you have any idea which is the lie yet? I’ll give you some hints. All of these statements have some truth to them. They all have pieces that are very accurate. Ok, ready for the lie… I do not get up earlier than my family every day. Are you surprised? Knowing what you know about me, you might have been. In all honesty, getting up early is a must for some people, but not me. I cherish my sleep too much. I do take a few minutes every morning to look at the plans and meetings for the day but it may not be done before others wake up.
Why is this game so sinister? Because it teaches people to believe the words that we hear, rather than the actions we see. It shows that we can share a little white lie that may not hurt others, but changes how we perceive something and possibly even our mindset. When we plant a see of doubt or negativity in our minds, that seed grows. Yes, getting up early isn’t necessarily negative, but it does add doubt in my mind that I could ever start that habit. So the next time you play this game, think twice.