Let’s be honest: an epidemic of lying is infecting public discourse. From political stages to policy debates, from newsfeeds to dinner tables, dishonesty has become disturbingly normalized. Many of us feel caught between exhaustion—burying our heads in the sand under the sheer volume of misinformation—and frustration as we scramble to correct falsehoods that seem endless. But here’s the hopeful truth: this is not inevitable. In this episode of The Space In Between, host Leigh Morgan offers four simple practices to help us turn the tide, strengthen our communities, bridge divides, and nurture a culture of compelling honesty.
Why Lying Spreads Like Wildfire
In this episode of The Space In Between, I explore what happens when dishonesty becomes part of the fabric of organizations and societies. Drawing on decades of research, we see a clear pattern: lies rarely stay contained. They spread. When leaders or institutions bend the truth, those who follow adapt, lowering ethical standards across the board.
Studies from Wharton, Harvard, and others show that dishonesty is contagious—and that when it takes root, productivity declines, engagement plummets, innovation dries up, and trust collapses. Organizations with dishonest cultures may appear to thrive for a time, but their foundations remain brittle and prone to fracture.
And it doesn’t stop at organizations. Nations, too, suffer when lying becomes systemic. Trust in leaders and institutions erodes. Divisions deepen as lies fuel “us versus them” narratives. Cynicism spreads, leading people to disengage from public life altogether. Scapegoating and fear-mongering thrive. History reminds us that when leaders embrace dishonesty, the social fabric itself begins to unravel.
Why Lies Take Root
Research also shows us why lying takes hold: it often meets unmet human needs. Small “pro-social lies”—like sparing someone’s feelings—can sometimes build connection and trust. And in moments of fear or uncertainty, even overt lies can create the illusion of certainty and control.
That insight gives us a way forward. If lying meets needs for safety, connection, and belonging, then truth can meet those same needs—if we practice it in ways that stir the heart as much as the mind.
Practices to Turn the Tide
That’s where “compelling honesty” comes in. Turning the tide requires more than facts alone. It requires truth-telling that resonates emotionally, that feels as contagious as falsehoods. In this episode, I share four practices that each of us can adopt to help rebuild honesty at scale:
- Tell truthful stories. Stories tie facts to human experience, making truth memorable and harder to dismiss.
- Understand why a lie resonates. Listening deeply helps us see the fears or desires that made the falsehood appealing in the first place.
- Connect over shared hopes and concerns. When we discover common ground—like families bonded by the shared pain of losing loved ones—we dissolve divides that lies exploit.
- Hold your ground with clarity. Compelling honesty doesn’t require surrendering our convictions. We can stay rooted in values while also listening with openness.
When practiced together, these small but powerful steps create something larger: the possibility of an epidemic of TRUTH. Just as dishonesty can spread through organizations and societies, honesty—when it is practiced in compelling, human-centered ways—can spread too. Compelling honesty doesn’t mean being blunt or harsh; it means sharing truth in ways that acknowledge people’s dignity, emotions, and real concerns.
When we tell truthful stories that resonate, when we listen to understand the appeal of a lie, when we connect across divides and still stand firm in our values—we model a kind of honesty that is attractive rather than alienating. And because humans are wired for imitation, that kind of truth-telling can inspire others to do the same. One act of compelling honesty can ripple outward, strengthening trust, restoring faith in one another, and making truth itself something that people want to stand with and spread.
Staying in the space in between requires us to ‘be’ truthful, and take accountability when we make a mistake, fudge a fact now and then. We aren’t aiming for perfection, rather being able to stay away from extremes and create spaces where real dialogue and connection can happen.
That works best when honesty itself is contagious.
This is the work of our time. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen at scale without each of us doing our part. But one story at a time, one act of listening at a time, one brave truth at a time—we can replace the epidemic of lies with something far stronger: a culture of honesty and kindness that can endure.
