I do not lie ever. Call it a personal fetish. I had an ex of 6 years, and she was not the most truthful sort. In her dealings with friends, co-workers and her daughter I watched her lie to; gain advantage; elicit sympathy; save face; avoid responsibility; to shame; to vilify; to embarrass; to control; for revenge; for spite and of course for convenience.

Now when we first got together I explained my philosophical truth fetish because, in a relationship only truth with an occasional lie of omission can sometimes get uncomfortable. She said she accepted it and believed me. For my part I accepted her truthfulness and integrity.

3 years in and somewhat wiser about her honesty, she lets slip that she thinks I do lie, despite having no reason or evidence.

6 years in whenever I call her on the stench of her many dishonesties, in a stunning display of mental gymnastics, she posits that I'm far worse than she is because she admits she lies sometimes. Because I do not admit to lying, (cause I never do!) that actually makes me a super liar, because no one is 100% honest! Really it was like a spinning hamster wheel of paranoia.

There was no year 7. It wasn't until I had a bit of distance that it dawned on me what had been going on, projection.

You see when we started out I assumed she was basically like me fairly honest. As we went on I learned better, revised my opinion and tried my best to steer her toward the more honest stances. She resented that.

For her part she assumed that everyone was like her, honesty was just a mask everyone wore in public and polite company. She assumed I to wore a mask to. As time wore on and I didn't take off my non-existent mask she became less sure of me because, she could not conceive of a 100% honest person. I think she found the thought shaming because it forced her to look at her own deficiencies. Finally she kind of snapped over it. I think it was just more comfortable for her deciding my total honesty was a type of 'super lying' rather than facing the possibility I might be true.

Without experience of another we tend to assume that most think as we do, be aware of this tendency, it can be dangerous.