The Hindu Business Line : `Manage' those lies

ARE you honest to the core? You might be tempted to nod your head vigorously. But think of the moments when you claimed to be away or busy when the telephone rang because you preferred not to take the call. Strictly speaking, isn't that a lie?

These are trivial things, you might say, and unavoidable in our social life and at the workplace.

Small `lies' help keep relationships smooth, help one avoid those embarrassing moments.

True, but with each small lie comes the need to build that story credibly so as not to hurt people. How good are you then at `managing' these lies, is the poser a service on the Web throws up.

True.Lies service is specially designed to help people `manage and update' their lies. It gives people constant reminders through different mediums in accordance with their daily schedules. The site developers claim that the design is not meant to promote `dishonesty' but to `lubricate relationship and avoid embarrassment.'

Obviously, the person who utters a lie will have to provide all the details and update his or her daily schedule - like whom you will be meeting in the course of the day, relationship, purpose of the meeting, etc.

The site developers, after collecting all the `accumulated lies', will categorise and store them on a computer database. The schedule is monitored on a daily basis and constant reminders will be sent to the person at the appropriate time through post, mobile phone, e-mail or any method by which he/she can be reached.

True.Lies will let the person know the record of lies made to the people he/she will meet during the day, to prepare them for the meeting and thereby avoiding any awkwardness or ill-feeling. But remember - the more you lie, the longer will be the duration of the phone call, the louder you will have to talk and lesser the privacy!

But while some might think the actual exercise quite funny, rememberyou are treading on dangerous ground. Lies could catch up with one, sooner or later, be it in the professional or personal space.

Head-hunt columns tempt one with plum offers, and with a little tweaking of the resume, one can submit one's application, and hope to grab the job.

But can one sustain the deception?

Inconvenient questions at interviews apart, there is a chance of one being tracked or even caught.

For instance, there is this site, Eliyon.com, which has a comprehensive database.It holds the biographies of about 10 million US business people.

It can even track down current and former employees at various companies.

lnr@thehindu.co.in

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