Children are born with an innate sense of Authenticity, exhibiting a natural inclination towards honesty and directness

Truth Overshadowed

Children are naturally candid, but their caregivers may not be. Caregivers may have unhealed trauma that affects their family system and unwritten rules. They may lie and manipulate but also punish children for doing the same.

Children learn to deceive to avoid upsetting their caregivers, whom they depend on for survival. This paper explores how this learned dishonesty harms a child’s psyche, relationships, and connection with truth and spirituality.

Effects on Self-esteem and Identity Development

Lying can have negative consequences for children’s self-esteem and identity. When they lie, they feel ashamed and insecure, knowing that they are hiding their true selves. Their false personas erode their confidence and self-awareness over time. They lose touch with their authentic core, which becomes distorted and repressed by the Shadow. They end up alienating themselves from this vital part of their psyche.

Impacts on Interpersonal Trust

As children become more accustomed to lying, they begin to perceive relationships as based on deception rather than empathy and honesty. This betrayal of honesty fundamentally damages their ability to form secure attachments, leading to trust issues that carry into their adulthood. These trust issues manifest as a wariness of intimacy and an expectation of manipulation in their relationships.