Do not lie
Especially to yourself
I set my own rules before I read anyone on this. Don’t lie, don’t deal with assholes, don’t be one.
Lying is powerful. You can work the world with language and get what you want more than once. The bill arrives later. Lie once and you carry two versions — the world as it is, and the story you told. Clarity goes first.
The one you lie to most is yourself. That is the lie that decides for you on the day it matters.
Do not lie. Especially to yourself.