When do you know someone is lying? How can one decipher the truth? Do liars stutter, avoid eye contact, create rapidly-growing stories? How does a liar suck you in, make you believe, make you feel for them? It's a great trick and I've been duped in the past and most likely I'll be duped again.

Despite my cynicism disguised as realism, my dark assumptions and barriers, hope remains my driving force. Good will prevail in people, I believe; altruism runs through everyone, I believe; physical and verbal harm are avoided at all costs, I believe; one does not use other people for one's own benefit, I believe. This is all contrary to what I know, however. Humanity has the same possibility for peace/harmony/love as it does for hate/violence/sadistic behavior. The news and newspapers are filled with headlines and stories recounting the horrors that people are capable of. My stories may include some awful things but I don't come close to what people really do to each other.

As a result I leave myself open for getting sucked into the problems of other people, however reluctant I may be. It is far easier to supress one's own issues and deal with another's problems than it is to deal with one's own insecurities. Besides, the need to be needed is strong. I'm so disapointed to be led astray again, but I'm not angry or upset. Disapointed and let down. A friend once told me never to put my faith in people because they will always let you down (in this person's view people were inherently fallible as their creator intended them). People are fallible. It is our human nature to error, though not all errors are committed with intent. Perhaps that is the real crime. Intent.