Ethics of Fibbing

Lying to friends and family members may seem like a quick way to lose their trust, but this may not always be the case. Lying for the right reasons can actually strengthen some social bonds, if only it’s done right. Grab your Ballantines Whisky and drift with me on this…

Fake it till you make it is definitely one of the gospel scriptures ruling the current decade. It is our instinct to blame the media for our poor perceptions of reality and the ways in which we compare ourselves to idealistic standards. At one time, that all may have been true. It may have been the airbrushed models in magazines and the seemingly flawless lifestyles of celebrities that made us feel like boring little trolls in comparison. However, we are now our own worst enemies because of the way we’ve distorted and manipulated our social media presentations.

We’re creating a culture of self-comparison that did not previously exist. Not only that, but we compare ourselves to false images, just as altered as those of the airbrushed models.  With Tik Tok and IG pushing the narrative to the core, it has become even more difficult to differentiate the authenticity of people online.

But what exactly are the “right” reasons for lying? You may ask. So, after the first date in Jiweke Tavern with Jane, she kept singing praises on how much of a gentleman I am. That was subsequently followed by numerous date nights and movie nights, you know. Gentle Man things. There is something about ladies nowadays and moving in ‘too soon. Well, I am not complaining about this, for obvious reasons, but it kinda fractures our lifestyle. I know my masculine frame is on-point, but again Jane was already occupying that ‘me’ space.  I am never the man to dig into or pester women about their lives but something seemed amiss in her. Jane literally stayed in comfy 4 days a week in the name of working Online. Her mannerism, vibe, eloquence, and generally how she carries herself were top-notch. More of a cool kid from some elite family, raised in some leafy suburbs. Her IG handles complimented on this. Oozing class. Anyone would get baited at the first glance.

I can’t deny that her IG played a very crucial part in where we are today. I occasionally pop into her IG stories and status and throw in some love emojis. This weekend she had invited her pal over to my crib so to avoid the whole awkward stares and introductions I went to meet Allan at our usual joint- Jiweke. Kama kawaida, one ballantines botti real-quick as we rant about jobo issues. Four cocktails down, It was checking in. I know am tipsy when that phone urge kicks in. I was just perusing IG when I bumped into this beautiful pic of Jane and her pal captioned “Nights like these in Dubai”. Weh! I even rubbed my eyes to ensure am seeing crystal.  “Am sure jet lag must be killing you hun “the second part of the caption read before tagging her pal.  Everything in that picture was my house, and to make it worse they just chose my corner bar spot. This assured my suspicions. She was all about that delusional IG lifestyle and setting standards for her followers, hence, the many pics in the morning.  It was all about social fibbing.

I had one heavy chug before showing Allan. You could tell his thoughts from his face. ‘Mkuu Iza ‘he said stammered before handing me over a double shot. “Although, some might argue that engaging in selective sharing online isn’t lying — it’s just self-preservation, Someone has to explain something!” I roared as I stormed off.

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