How do people lie so easily?
There's been a lot of drama at my house lately, although that's unsurprising. My mom is old and sometimes needs assistance from a nurse. This nurse has been working with us for months and has been great. My mom (bless her heart) is slightly crazy, forgetful, easily confused, and then blames other people for her own ailments. The nurse was always very patient with her and was good at her job.
However, over time, I noticed her policies were questionable. At first, she demanded payments on Sundays, then on Fridays, then on Thursdays, then on Thursdays two weeks before her scheduled time. It was very convoluted, and I would get an annoying call or text if my payment was even a day late. My mom also found it complicated, but I told her not to question it. After all, everyone has their particular ways of how they run their business.
Well, a few months ago, something outside our control happened and we no longer needed the nurse's services. I had already paid her and asked if she would refund the amount I paid. She said she could only refund me half (for some complex reason), which I was fine with.
Then she ghosted me.
I finally got a hold of her recently and she said she sent me a check in the mail and if it got lost it was "my fault." I told her to send me proof she sent the check because this was my first time hearing about it, but she refused. Her texts were long, unhinged, and full of blatant lies. It was honestly scary. I eventually texted, "Look, if you don't have the money, you could've just said that." She then told me she would call her attorney (which she clearly didn't have), so of course I responded, "Well, I'll see you in court!"
You know, I have to say, nothing makes you feel like an adult like threatening to take someone to court. She responded, "Fine!"
I probably won't take her to court, but the thing about this whole story that alarms me the most is how wrong I was about someone. For months she would blame miscommunication issues, scheduling conflicts, and mysterious billing charges on my mom. "Well, I told your mom, and you know how she gets confused." I would then apologize profusely on my mom's behalf and thank her for being so generous for putting up with us. 🙄
I honestly feel like a sucker, because although my mom is easily confused, maybe she was telling the truth this whole time.
I really don't know because, in comparison, I'm a terrible liar. I find it disturbing when people can lie really well, without caving, without eventually going, "You're right, I fucked up." To keep it going for months? Years? It honestly scares me. It feels psychopathic.
I don't know if I'm just being naive, but I genuinely can't think of a single situation that can't be fixed with honesty and transparency. I respect people who tell me, "I don't know," or "I forgot," or "I'm sorry."
People never want to say I'm sorry. People are all caught up in their own egos, spiraling, lying to themselves and to everyone else.
And I'm out of $300.