What if we couldn’t lie? What if every word that came out of our mouths was the 100% unadulterated truth? You’re probably imagining all the people you would have pissed off by now, or the things that you’d never want your parents to know about.

But just take a second to imagine a little deeper. Imagine a world where we knew the reasons why people just stopped talking to us out of the blue, instead of the “I just got busy” excuse.

What if we knew the real reasons behind why someone breaks up with someone else? No doubt sometimes the lies come from not wanting to hurt that person by admitting that we’re just not into them anymore, but those excuses never quite satisfy that nagging feeling that there’s more that they’re saying.

There would be no need to tell kids once they reach a certain age that Santa and the tooth fairy aren’t real. They wouldn’t come home from school one day crying because that mean kid broke the news to them before you could.

We would know if someone was telling the truth about still loving you after they cheated, and if they’re sincere about doing better next time.

No more avoiding your boyfriend or girlfriend hoping that they’ll pick up on what’s wrong and magically be able to read your mind.

Nobody would have to hold grudges anymore because everything would be laid out on the table to see and understand.

We would know when somebody was being manipulative or just trying to use us.

We’d also know when someone was hurting and be able to help them in the best way for them because we wouldn’t be guessing at what they need. Being able to explain to someone what you need is difficult, but without being able to lie we’d be able to get what we need sooner.

There are surely people out there who will claim that they never lie, but even that in itself is at least somewhat of a lie. While they may do their best to always tell the truth, it is a part of human nature to tell at least a little white lie from time to time.

But how different would your life be if it wasn’t? The thought may make you cringe at first thinking of all your secrets that would be out in the world, but so would everyone else’s. Would it really be that horrible? Or would it make life easier in the end? Could you even imagine such a world?