Children and politicians are notorious for either not understanding the consequences of their actions or refusing to believe that the same actions will always result in the same consequences. (As an aside, it’s fascinating to ponder why we punish children for not heeding the consequences of their actions, yet vote for politicians who promise to ignore history and repeat the same mistakes over and over again.)

Clearly, most people today base their actions on false perceptions, which are derived from false assumptions, which in turn are derived from false premises. Why else would they drive while intoxicated? Or lie in an effort to get out of a tight spot? Or live beyond their means? Or commit crimes?

Unfortunately, a majority of false perceptions are learned as a small child and carried through life. Since an incorrect perception is a falsehood, there is a snowballing effect; i.e., a false perception leads to more false premises, which in turn lead to more false assumptions, which in turn lead to more false perceptions — a vicious cycle that is almost certain to lead to failure.

The path to success is paved with correct premises, assumptions, and perceptions. But these are possible only for the person who loves truth enough to have the courage to face up to it, even when it’s not comfortable or convenient for him to do so.

Lying to others is bad, but lying to oneself is suicidal.