This invention is one humanity’s most destructive. Throughout history, it has been responsible for countless deaths, and its use has spawned an endless debate over its appropriateness in using against other people. This invention is lying. No one can deny that lies have negatively affected their lives in some way. People have broken down, relationships have been destroyed, and entire cities, cultures, and civilizations have fallen to the power that lies hold. Because of this, the use of lies in human interaction must be limited in order to safeguard the basic structures that uphold civilization.

Every individual person goes through their life with the belief that certain things are true and other things are not; if this belief were to be shattered because of a lie, the individual would cease to function. Individuals are the most important part of society, and without them working properly, society would deteriorate. When a truth that an individual believed is later found out to be a lie, many problems arise. One of these problems, according to the BBC’s article, “Lying”, is that an individual who is lied to feels “regarded as a person who doesn’t deserve the truth.” Basic ideas that every individual understands to be true is necessary for society to function. One of these ideas is that everyone will always be truthful. When an individual feels as though they are unworthy of this basic tenet of human society, they function below their ideal performance. If this phenomenon were more widespread, society would fail because its most fundamental unit would be a broken cog in the machine. For example, the idea that Christianity was the only valid faith destroyed ancient civilizations’ trust in each other, as their old ways of thinking were being disrupted, and society was plunged into a bout of religious chaos and turmoil that continues to this day.

Lies can damage relationships because they lead to a breakdown of trust, something that every kind of relationship relies on. Whether it be a friendship, a family, or a marriage, these emotional unions between human beings require an understanding that all parties involved will be as truthful as possible. The idea that language “carries the obligation to use it truthfully” is an underlying belief that all relationships are founded upon. Fifty percent of marriages, society’s ultimate union of two individuals, end in a divorce. It is likely that lies play a significant part in contributing to this statistic. If lies have the power to break up one of humanity’s most sacred institutions, then their power must be curbed.

The very fabric of society is susceptible to the destructive power that lies hold. Society is based on a group of individuals forming relationships and working together to achieve a common goal. This practice relies upon a certain level of truthfulness for everyone to maintain to ensure that everything runs smoothly; however, when lying destroys this basic idea upheld by society, strife becomes stronger and “cohesion is weakened.” In modern society, it is expected that those in power will be truthful and hold a certain level of accountability in order to protect those that they have power over. Time after time, this has proven to not be the case. Under the George W. bush administration, the lie that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction permeated through the media and prompted the US government to launch a massive military invasion against Iraq. This action garnered a large amount of support from American constituents because they believed the lie that their government manufactured. It was later proven that Iraq did not have any WMDs, and the thousands of Iraqi lives lost in the conflict were all for naught. This event showed how a single lie had the power to destabilize and destroy an entire country. Everyone within society must exercise a healthy amount of scrutiny and skepticism towards anyone in a position of power so as to not repeat the terrible mistakes of the past.

The use of lies must be carefully regulated in order to ensure the continuation of human civilization. Society, relationships, and individuals are all at risk of being subjugated by the harmful capabilities of lying. Lies are humanity’s most destructive weapon, and they need to be used sparingly, if used at all.