You might be lying more than is healthy for you.
Most people think lying is harmless, just social grease or a shortcut through conflict.
I used to think that too.
But the real damage caused by lying isn’t moral. It’s structural. It’s what it does to your internal model of reality.
To be a convincing liar you have to believe your own stories. And the moment you start believing them, you compromise the part of your mind that knows what’s real. That internal compass, the one that helps you navigate the world and navigate yourself, begins to distort. Hannah Arendt warned that when lies replace truth, our ability to orient ourselves collapses. That’s the real danger.
Lying feels like control, but over time it becomes the opposite. You create a false world, and then that false world starts controlling you.
If you’ve been lying long enough, you’ve already split yourself in two: the part of you that knows the truth and the part of you performing the lie. Carl Jung would say the performer becomes a shadow self you start living inside. And if you inhabit that character long enough, you confuse their desires for your own. Eventually the performance becomes the identity, and your entire life bends around maintaining it.
The prescription is simple, but brutal. Tell the truth again.
But be warned. Truth is expensive. David Foster Wallace said the truth will set you free, but not until it is finished with you.
Telling the truth means killing the false self, and that death is painful because you’ve been identifying with that character for years. You’ve invested in them. You’ve protected them. You’ve let them run your life.
Worse, many of your relationships have bonded not with you, but with the liar, with the persona. And when you kill that persona, people will grieve it. Some will resent you. Some will leave. Some will tell you you’re not yourself anymore without realizing they never actually knew you in the first place.
People love the lie. It’s easier to love. Cleaner. More convenient.
When you start telling the truth, don’t expect applause. Expect resistance. Expect disappointment. Expect people to prefer the mask you wore over the face you’re finally revealing.
But if you stay the course, something else happens.
The world becomes solid again.
Your mind aligns with reality.
Your inner compass recalibrates.
And you stop living as a character in a story you never meant to write.
You come back to yourself.
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Replies (69)
The cool part is when you're finding the truth together with others.
Makes it much easier and more fun. When it's not just you - stuck between binary choices of truth and lies, black and white.
Be impeccable with your word.
Beautifully said. Thanks HODL.
Reminds me of a Jordan Peterson quote too..
“If you say the truth and nothing else, you will have an immense adventure as a consequence.
You will not know what is going to happen to you, but you have to let go of clinging to the outcome. You have to let go.
The truth will reveal the world the way it is intended to be revealed. The consequence for you will be that you will have the adventure of your life. The other part of that ethos - which makes perfect sense to me and I cannot see how it can be any other way - is that whatever makes itself manifest as a consequence of the truth is the best possible reality that could be manifest, even if you cannot see it.”
Are you still a racist?
A bit ironic when lying to others morphs into lying to yourself. It'll be easier for others to spot the lies and get through them than for the one who distorted the truth.
Also, God commands us not to lie.
You can’t come back if you’ve never left. 💪🤝
Hahahaha
Water is wet.
We live in an empire of lies, trillions have been spent propagandizing us. Truth matters.
God lied to Adam and Eve in Genesis. You think you're better than God? Have you been reading Sam Harris?
Radical sincerity is what people with "fuck you" money do when they feel like they can be their true selves which invariably turns out to be a HORSE'S ASS.
“The truth will set you free, but not until it is done with you”
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You're a racist dude. I know you...
Sometimes the truth hurts. And it's supposed to.
From my personal experience, lying can also literally distort your body posture. You can make yourself “bent out of shape”, or “bend over backwards”, or “crooked” in attempts to please others with your lies. To face and confront the truth of reality allows one’s posture to be unconfined and free. The facia is the decentralized network of the body.
I was once "accused" of being "too honest", never took it as an insult, after all I never ment to be deceiving in the first place....
As they say, virtue is its own reward
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Wise words sir 🫡
I'm dogmatically truthful in my private life, but how do would you handle being a freelancer in web dev? Is very overrun and it seems everyone is bullshitting to get jobs. I struggle with that shit 🙈
What you say matters. Every word said is like a spell and the first one to be under it's effect is you. Never lie.
Thanks for this text! Truth is just #Bitcoin, and nothing else.
Give me truth or nothing!
My father would tell me that I should keep telling the truth but that I didn’t have to beat people over the head with it. 😆
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Ultra hard mode is when you didn’t lie to yourself but others raised you within a web of lies.
A friend of mine grew up with her struggling mum becoming part in Jehova witness.
All siblings are fucked to some degree.
Your metaphor of the compass sparks an image in my head of them being stranded on ground with magnetic anomalies beneath them.
Every move they make betraying them somehow.
What do you do?
Stand still?
Wait for help?
Just run in each direction far enough?
So grateful for my upbringing
Great essay, and I don't really disagree, but some examples or anecdotes might be helpful. What kind of lies are we talking about? Telling a 200 pound women that she's beautiful? Misrepresentations on a resume? Not providing full transparency to government agencies? Claiming you read the terms and conditions? Different lies have different impacts.
Man do I like the profound Hodl! Wise words out there
But is it just me or I also see in you two personas? The profound, wise father and the somewhat crazy and explosive you’re not stacking hard enough?
Cheat code: conduct yourself such that you’re not tempted to lie in the first place.
This ….. is a post about Santa Claus.
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Cool. Remember that time I told you to suggest your "billionaire friend" try a conversation with real words and you gaslit me and muted me?
This is one of my core truths that I try to hold myself to. In my business, I tell everyone I hire that my two expectations are: don’t lie and do the right thing, especially when it’s hard to do.
Radical honesty is the final frontier of sovereignty.
Agrewd It depends on the context but generally lying is damaging to yourself mainly
Ah that one’s easy. My father was an erudite first amendment attorney and my mother was a schizophrenic. So both archetypes live inside me. lol true story.
And then you start to hear the whispers of the divine.
I would say the big one is presenting a false version of yourself to friends and family. Lying about a covid vaccine in order to not put poison in your body doesn’t fall under my definition of self destructive. Though if you’re in a position where you have to lie about it in order to survive maybe it’s better to tell the truth about not taking it and let tha truth reshape your world.
Personally, I think you pick a direction and run straight. Like when you get lost in the woods.
I’m not sure what you mean here
Because of my redacted medical condition, I've had to live a life of truth for the last ten years.
It's very freeing. You also learn your words carry more weight because people know you believe what you say.
To be honest with you Id never heard of her until just now. If this post resembles her work it’s completely accidental. These are just my own perceptions based on experience.
Agreed, lying is corrosive, and when the bill arrives, which it eventually will, it can be much more than expected. Like Anon, I do wonder about the exceptions. Vaccine status is one, another would be using a fake name at bitcoin events (assuming you're a Nostr nym), it might buy you safety, but may also impact your ability to connect.
Yeah. Everyone’s compass is uniquely broken , therefore I gave up on giving people directions. Your messages act more like a beacon signal which allow for everyone walking a unique path. I like that a lot.
When you start telling following TRUTHS, don’t expect applause. Expect resistance. Expect disappointment. Expect people to prefer the mask you wore over the face you’re finally revealing.
- Shitcoin core devs are either compromised/incompetent
- Shitcoin core FORCED op_return change on plebs since there wasn't major support for this change.
- BIP444 is the only viable solution at the moment which can get us out of shitcoin core tyranny and by not supporting it, things could get more worse in the future by upgrades like Cluster (fuck) mempool and Ghey Script Restoration.
-Majority of simpfluencers consider spam debate a DrAmA because some of them might have either some monetary incentive to not talk about it or they are friends with some spammers/spam apologists/shitcoin core devs.
SUPPORT BIP444...!!!
RUG THE SPAMMERS...!!!
END THE SHITCOIN CORE...!!!
Don't fear these simpfluencers because if we let them do what they are doing, bitcoin would likely become more permissionless (inefficient) data storage than permissionless money.
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To the degree that you are honest with yourself, is the degree to which you can be honest with others.
To the degree that you are honest with yourself and others, is the degree to which you can live in alignment with the universe and, more broadly, God.
Ha, even your post is dishonest.
When my son was four, I told him "every time you lie, you confuse yourself a little bit". He has never forgotten.
Meta comment: when is a post supposed to be long form? Seems like anything that doesn't fit on a single phone screen without scrolling is best on that kind with a repost on kind 1.
The resistance part from the world sounds a bit like the bitcoiners journey
Pure poetry. Nice piece Hodl.
Our words are far more powerful than people realise. Words expressed are also more powerful than those that are held in your mind & thoughts. To hold a belief & express something in contrast with that belief causes an rift within you, a seperation.
To be free is to be integrated & aligned as a sovereign being. You cannot be free while you are lying or wearing the heavy mask of social conformity.
From birth we are convinced than we are less than perfect. That we have sinned & need to redeem ourselves in the eyes of others. We try to convince ourselves & others that we are not selfish. That we put others needs above our own. This lie was hidden amongst all the other bullshit I thought was important to hide from people.
The world is a mirror that reflects the projections that you place on it. It doesn't argue with you, it simply complies with evidence to support your beliefs. One must be very careful in making agreements about the nature of things because they have a very real impact on your experience.
The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves.
💚🫂
Where people most often get stuck with teaming up - you gotta understand when if the time to move on.
Finding truths changes people and team dynamics. So you gotta accept that, if you'll surf towards truth faster, with others. There is already a cost to a benefit.
It imposes the question what is truth?
Living in a way that is not congruent with your values
The truth will set you free
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👍 Be true to everyone*, including yourself.
It works wonders!
* Not government.
WOW! Thanks for this! (And it includes lyin to yourself. Lets get real folks!)
You are becoming a wits smith if deeply profound truth!
I’m so lucky to call you a friend.
We may not have ever met.
We may not have ever had a drink irl.
BUT your energy is REAL Brisket Snow 🙏🧡💜
🫡
We are looking for an investor who can lend 150,000 US dollars to our holding company.
We are looking for an investor who can invest 150,000 US dollars in our holding.
We are looking for an investor who can provide a budget of 150,000 US dollars for our holding.
With a budget of 150,000 US dollars that you will invest in our holding, we will produce an artificial intelligence-supported device called Mindova, which will measure people's physical and mental data and evaluate this data with artificial intelligence, guiding people in a healthy life.
“Mindova” is an artificial intelligence-supported coach that analyzes your personal health data (sleep, heart rate, step count, mood, blood values, nutrition, etc.).
Mindova is a device that analyzes the user's physical and mental data with artificial intelligence and works as a personal health assistant.
People experience mental fatigue, stress, and physical health problems. However, everyone's lifestyle, biology, and psychology are different. Current apps offer "general recommendations," not personalized ones.
Stress, anxiety, lack of focus, insomnia and loss of motivation are on the rise in people worldwide. Current wellness apps give everyone the same advice, there are no personalized solutions. People want a healthy life but can't find a personal system to guide them.
AI-based mental health applications, in particular, are one of the areas where investors are currently pouring the most money (Calm, Headspace, Wysa, Replika, Mindstrong, etc.).
In short, the applications at the lower level of the project we are doing are generating billions of dollars. We are building a project that receives large investments across the market.
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We will sell our product in two ways. First, we will create our own website, display our product internationally on our website and sell it all over the world. Thanks to our strong advertising network, we will introduce and sell our products to many people and achieve large sales in a short time. Second, we will make agreements with technology stores around the world and sell them to them. They will sell to people in their own countries and earn money.
There will be a 2-month production process and a 2-month sales process, so we will be able to achieve great income by working quickly and in a balanced manner.
💼 Your Profit:
You will invest 150,000 US dollars in our holding company. When July 25, 2026 comes, I will return your money to you as 850,000 US dollars.
You will invest 150,000 US dollars in our Mindova project. You will receive your money back as 850,000 US dollars on 25/07/2026.
You will give a budget of 150,000 US dollars as a loan to our holding company. You will receive your money back as 850,000 US dollars on 25.07.2026.
To learn how you can invest 150,000 US dollars in our holding and get detailed information, send a message to my Telegram username below and I will give you detailed information.
To get detailed information about our Mindova project and to learn how you can increase your money by investing 150,000 US dollars in our Mindova project, send a message to my Telegram username below and I will give you detailed information.
To learn how you can lend 150,000 US dollars to our holding, send a message to my Telegram username below and I will give you detailed information.
my telegram username:
@adenholding
We are looking for an investor who can lend 150,000 US dollars to our holding company.
We are looking for an investor who can invest 150,000 US dollars in our holding.
We are looking for an investor who can provide a budget of 150,000 US dollars for our holding.
With a budget of 150,000 US dollars that you will invest in our holding, we will produce an artificial intelligence-supported device called Mindova, which will measure people's physical and mental data and evaluate this data with artificial intelligence, guiding people in a healthy life.
“Mindova” is an artificial intelligence-supported coach that analyzes your personal health data (sleep, heart rate, step count, mood, blood values, nutrition, etc.).
Mindova is a device that analyzes the user's physical and mental data with artificial intelligence and works as a personal health assistant.
People experience mental fatigue, stress, and physical health problems. However, everyone's lifestyle, biology, and psychology are different. Current apps offer "general recommendations," not personalized ones.
Stress, anxiety, lack of focus, insomnia and loss of motivation are on the rise in people worldwide. Current wellness apps give everyone the same advice, there are no personalized solutions. People want a healthy life but can't find a personal system to guide them.
AI-based mental health applications, in particular, are one of the areas where investors are currently pouring the most money (Calm, Headspace, Wysa, Replika, Mindstrong, etc.).
In short, the applications at the lower level of the project we are doing are generating billions of dollars. We are building a project that receives large investments across the market.
We will sell our product at a price of 300 US dollars.
We will have our product produced by technology companies in India, thus eliminating the need for labor and producing a quality product at a low cost.
We will sell our product in two ways. First, we will create our own website, display our product internationally on our website and sell it all over the world. Thanks to our strong advertising network, we will introduce and sell our products to many people and achieve large sales in a short time. Second, we will make agreements with technology stores around the world and sell them to them. They will sell to people in their own countries and earn money.
There will be a 2-month production process and a 2-month sales process, so we will be able to achieve great income by working quickly and in a balanced manner.
💼 Your Profit:
You will invest 150,000 US dollars in our holding company. When July 25, 2026 comes, I will return your money to you as 850,000 US dollars.
You will invest 150,000 US dollars in our Mindova project. You will receive your money back as 850,000 US dollars on 25/07/2026.
You will give a budget of 150,000 US dollars as a loan to our holding company. You will receive your money back as 850,000 US dollars on 25.07.2026.
To learn how you can invest 150,000 US dollars in our holding and get detailed information, send a message to my Telegram username below and I will give you detailed information.
To get detailed information about our Mindova project and to learn how you can increase your money by investing 150,000 US dollars in our Mindova project, send a message to my Telegram username below and I will give you detailed information.
To learn how you can lend 150,000 US dollars to our holding, send a message to my Telegram username below and I will give you detailed information.
my telegram username:
@adenholding
nostr:nprofile1qqsfdjrhvhvspvtf7h7a30qeh7tmmrrdzcllg94gn4zuhd72cjxfgvcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0n3njus I’m still the queen of typos!! 🤩
Awwww thanks Sil
💚🫂
You and Mudge are my two must see bitcoiners!
You and I have spoken to each other through a screen … then we both stepped back knowing the shill was not worth the sell.
Yet … a movement emerged. The beef initiative sparked entrepreneurial projects here in Oz - enter the great Jacob Wolki - from Wolki Farm!
You and I continue to learn. To teach our children. That is my greatest goal, yours too I bet. And to truly work hard at building a grass roots movement.
Keep in trucking in Brisket Snow! There is a phone call you and I once had where you told me to go for it - if I felt it was right. That has become my war cry.
Love you brother 🧡💜🫂
I've worked in tech start-ups most of my career, and this is a rarely talked about conditions that I have seen emerge in non-technical founders.
It starts with "fake it till you make it" which is somewhat necessary for your CEO to do in the early days.
Then they start believing their own jazz hands are magical.
And before you know it, their grip on reality starts slipping. You notice them lying when it isn't necessary or even advantageous to do so.
And as trust evaporates, they become paranoid, controlling, and their decisions become increasingly irrational.
Founder's syndrome. It's real, and it all starts with lies.
I’ve seen this
The biggest lesson I took from that was that your heart always knows what's best for you.
Ignore its protests & prods at your own peril.
I've always relied on my mind to find a path forward but I'm realising that my greatest power has always come from my heart. That's the lesson I want to pass on to my kids.
I find it pretty ironic that we gain wisdom once we've lost most of our influence on our children.
We'll meet F2F one day.
“I find it pretty ironic that we gain wisdom once we've lost most of our influence on our children.” 🙌🤩🧡
Beautifully articulated Brisket Snow.
Great fucking post.
Just great!
Related you should look up this dude who decided to live and maybe coined “radical honesty” (wasn’t without its problems haha)
this is what my mom friend is dealing with re: her teenage son
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