The Effects of Lying | Georgia Haukom | TEDxKids@ElCajon

[0:10]Let's play a game. Two truths and a lie. Let's start. I've been on an airplane before. I love art, and after I was born, I was sent to intensive care. Think about which one you think was a lie. Got it? The lie was that we're not playing two truths in a lie. But have you ever told a lie? Everyone has, but have you ever thought what it could do to you? What if me, what if not lying would give you a better job? What if that job pays more? Would you still do it? You've probably thought, this one won't hurt, but then you keep doing it over and over and over until it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit, people start avoiding you. I know from experience. It will happen. My sister drew a red dot on her face, claiming it was a bug bite. I don't trust her as much anymore. And she's my own sister. This is only one of the things lying can do to you. Stress, unhappiness, and damaged mental health are all things that can happen when you lie. Why do these things happen? Let me tell you the truth, like I should. I don't know, but here's what I do know. To prevent this from happening, practice telling the truth. And if it feels like you're about to lie, just think how you will feel if you knew someone was lying to you. You walk up to one of your best friends and ask if they can go to the movies. They say they can't. No time, and you are right with that, but you don't know what's coming. About 30 minutes later, the movie still wouldn't going, but you see your friend shopping at the mall with someone else. Has this ever happened to you? Well, you can prevent it from happening to someone else just by telling the truth. It's hard, right? But think about the bright side. Maybe I'll like it. Now, the big question is, how is lying affected to your health? Anita Kelly, a psychology professor in Notre Dame, Indiana, performed a 10-week project on 110 adults. She has half the adults to stop lying for the 10 weeks and the other half to record the lies they do each day. After the 10 weeks, the data showed that the half that didn't lie, their health improved. But the half that did lie, their health decreased. You now know what lying can do to you. You know what it can do to relationships. Lying isn't good. And I hope you remember that next time you think you're about to lie.