The constant lying in public life eventually erodes not only trust in those who do it, but any trust in the value of truth itself. This is a problem, because we all need truth at crucial points in our lives. In exams. In the courts. In the ballot box. In hospital.

Don't let others steal the truth from you and sell their version of it back to you. Protect it for your family, for your community, for yourself. Don't let the cynical lie that 'everybody lies' blind you to the fact that many don't.

Accept truth's inconvenience. Learn from its tough love. Let it make you humble, even if that makes you wrong, because it's the only friend who ever cared enough about you to want you to be wiser.

Never let liars claim a wisdom they don't possess. Don't mistake cleverness for truth. Never let the lie settle. Pull each one up like weeds. Harass deceit before it becomes the cold hand of unjust authority banging on your own door one night. Be wise before they make you silent.