[mythrwy]

"as I have grown older it's become second nature to quickly cook up a lie to get out of an uncomfortable situation"

Thats a terrible habit to have developed. The old idea ideas of honor, of character, of moral strength, of reputation grew because they were based in innate principals of human trust. We live now in a transient place where people switch groups at the drop of the hat so some people think these ideas no longer apply. These people are wrong and the old ideas will be back with a vengeance. Be someone you would want to do business with. Have as a friend, as a lover. Otherwise you are in for a long, lonely and difficult road moving from place to place as you burn one set of people after another. Because cultures that lie as a habit ultimately can't out-compete those where honer is an important attribute. Don't be very clever. Just as in code, it catches up with one soon enough and it's just not worth it.