It's one thing to lie to someone to protect them from the truth, or to fudge a fact to blunt the blow, but when you know the truth already and someone lies straight to your face, KNOWING that you know the truth, it is beyond dishonest. It is downright insulting.
I pride myself in being a rather skilled reader of people. When trying hard enough, I can typically tell a wide range of facts about a particular person by just gauging their body language and habits, even upon first meeting them. It's not an altogether unheard-of skill. After the first impression and as time goes on, this ability to 'read' someone gets easier. When you know someone for a very long time, spend countless hours with them, connect on a very personal level, and come to understand one another's nervous habits and stances, it is almost impossible to misinterpret if you are paying close attention. Something as little as not making eye contact when saying hello, not smiling about a certain subject, or an off-reaction to a specific someone can trigger your awareness of your friend's alteration from their normal mood. I watch for those very carefully when I am in a potentially uncomfortable situation.
Now here's the kicker. If you know your friend this well, chances are they know you equally. They may not vocalize it, but they'll notice the forehead rub every ten seconds that gives away your discomfort. The will catch you staring into the corner of the room to avoid someone else's eye. They will always, always notice the way you speak, and how much speaking you do, whether it be too much or too little.
If your behavior is unexpected, and your friend becomes cognizant of your altered posture, they likely will ask you, in a discreet manner, what the matter is. It is natural to disregard or brush aside this gesture, and often, that is what happens, accompanied by a tacit agreement to discuss the matter later. That is fine, and works well. However, when this happens to me, and someone deliberately lies to me, wishing to deceive me about their state of well-being, when I know full-well that they do not feel the way they say they do, I tend to lose respect for that individual. If I am taking the time from my day to ask them why they are uncomfortable, it is not because I want to uncover their weakness. It is because I wish to assist them to find a solution to the problem.
Do not lie to someone who cares, or they may learn to believe you wish them to stop caring. The last thing any of us needs is one less person who gives a crap about us enough to ask.
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