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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

EndNotes

The secret to not lying

FILE - In this July 19, 2009, file photo, Lance Armstrong crosses the finish line during the 15th stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Verbier, Switzerland. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France during a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, reversing more than a decade of denial. (Laurent Rebours / Associated Press)
FILE - In this July 19, 2009, file photo, Lance Armstrong crosses the finish line during the 15th stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Verbier, Switzerland. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France during a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, reversing more than a decade of denial. (Laurent Rebours / Associated Press)

Some "big fat liars" (to use a term we did in childhood) have been exposed this week.

First, the Notre Dame scandal where many people likely are lying, not just footballl player Manti Te'o.

And now Lance Armstrong finally admitting to what everyone knew. He lied and lied and lied and lied and lied.

Why does it happen?

How can you spot it?

Well, those are questions for others, but I do have the simple formula for stopping lies within yourself. (Most all of us have done it, after all, small stretchings of the truth to look better, feel better or spare another's feelings.)

Ask yourself: Does the outside story I'm telling the world match the inside story of who I really am and what I know to be true about my life?

So the football player likely knew (at some point) the dead girlfriend only lived in his fantasy.

And Lance knew that he was injecting himself with crap before every long bike ride.

If yes, your outside story matches the inside story, you're not lying.

If no, you are.

Simple but sometimes more difficult than it seems.

(S-R archives photo)



Spokesman-Review features writer Rebecca Nappi, along with writer Catherine Johnston of Olympia, Wash., discuss here issues facing aging boomers, seniors and those experiencing serious illness, dying, death and other forms of loss.