Everybody Lies

I love the show House. I've watched its entire 8 seasons twice over. I loved the overarching plot lines, romances, and ever expanding back stories but even when episodes would follow its established procedural formula I was happy just to soak in Gregory House. A truth-teller, a self-proclaimed and unapologetic asshole and drug addict, an undisputed genius and delightfully anti-social atheist. He was my idol for a long time, I emulated him, his mantra "Everybody Lies" I took to heart and lived by.

There was a time I thought I had no moral compass, no conscience. I did bad things and never felt guilty. I operated under the flawed House justification "Everybody Lies", my own duplicitousness and deceits were merely a response, a reflection of the world I lived in, of human nature itself. I created a world of falsehood, lied so much I convinced myself the lies were truths. I became a dexterous and able fabricator. The lies would come freely, convincingly, subtly and colorfully. So enticingly believable. It came to the point I almost forgot how to tell the truth. Deception and deflection was my automatic response to any question under all circumstances.

My existence during these years was not satisfying, it was desperate and thin. I knew pleasure but no happiness. I discovered Gregory House's oft repeated phrase was not exactly true. People lied periodically, out of fear or necessity or ignorance but not Everybody Lies. Those who do lead bleak lives.

It can be hard to be honest and truthful. Hard to get past years of conditioned shams and habitual bluffs. Tough to get past the ease of pretense. But I realized there is right and wrong. More often than not the right path leads to a happy life. It can be difficult to be sincere and open and forthright but it is always better than the sucking isolation of double-dealing.