I can't abide a liar!

What makes a person want, need, and enjoy telling untruths about others? Why is it so important to some (I know quite a few, it seems) believe what they don't know about another means it is open season for making up hateful and hurtful lies to tell and retell?

If I am the brunt of this horrid treatment, I have often made every effort to handle it. Immediately, I've confronted the lying creep and usually the response I get is "I didn't say that," "I didn't do that," or "Whoever told you that is lying to you." Yeah, right! However, when I know (AND I MEAN REALLY KNOW) the jerk, past experience with his/her behavior reminds me I should have just ignored the back stabbing, lying idiot!

Lately, it seems this type of behavior from a couple of my least-favorite people in the world makes them thrive on continuously causing strife, discord, confusion, and pain for lots of folks. I must have asked myself at least a hundred times, "What, if anything, can I do about it?"

Today, I was faced with this very question while with many of my new friends. And, the answer became very clear to me. Tell the truth about what is going on and if anyone knows the truth about it, I do! While doing exactly that - setting the record straight - my heart hurt for them as a result of the pain which appeared on their faces.

Somehow, they felt the need to apologize to me for believing the horrible lies and made-up stories they'd been told. Nearly in tears, I explained they didn't owe me an apology for listening and believing. The ones doing the telling need to apologize to them for the damage they brought about.

At this late stage in my two least favorite people's lives, I doubt they will ever learn that being truthful hurts nobody, but a lie hurts forever.