Martha's burden: mental weight of a lie

At first it sounded like an arrogant thing to say. But on second thought, it hit me that he was right. There was no more news. Even if a hundred more women came forward and accused him of sexual harassment, he'd already issued the blanket confession ("Yes, I have behaved badly sometimes.") and the all-purpose apology ("I'm deeply sorry about that.")

Should we all run around confessing our sins and begging forgiveness? Probably not.

But in most situations, I'm convinced it's less costly to tell the truth and get on with life, even if it means doing some time.

South Dakota's former congressman, Bill Janklow, roared through a stop sign in 2003 and mowed down and killed a motorcyclist. A notoriously fast driver, Janklow got off to a clumsy start by lying to the cops at the scene. Later, he concocted a flimsy excuse - he was in diabetic shock and couldn't think straight.

Janklow insisted on fighting the case, lost on all counts, had to resign his seat, and went to jail - exactly what would have happened if he'd confessed in the beginning.

Had Janklow taken responsibility for his behavior (surrendering his driver's license right there on the shoulder of the road, resigning his congressional seat that afternoon, making an immediate financial settlement with the victim's family) and begun clearing his conscience, he'd probably have earned a good dose of gratitude from his community for doing the right thing after doing a very bad thing. Sure, they'd say, he messed up - but look how honest he's been and how hard he's trying to make up for it.

And if he'd won his case? I wouldn't want to be that Bill Janklow - recklessly killing an innocent person and getting away with it sounds like a lifelong emotional ball and chain.

There are signs, like Schwarzenegger's lightning apology, that our culture of automatic denial - lie now, concoct later - is giving way to a common sense of responsibility.

One example is how the healthcare system is starting to look at medical mistakes due to human error. Each year about 90,000 patients die in American hospitals as a result of human error, mostly by doctors, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Hospitals, doctors, and their insurers almost always fight these cases with guns blazing. But some hospitals have figured out that covering up and hunkering down is bad business.

UCLA Healthcare, a California-based chain of hospitals, recently adopted a new policy: "To create a culture that encourages reporting and learning from mistakes, near misses, and mishaps by creating a blame-free environment." UCLA doctors who have accidentally killed or injured patients are encouraged to own up to their mistakes and promise to try harder next time.

You don't have to commit perjury, slaughter an innocent, or kill a patient to be hobbled by a bad conscience. People make mistakes in every aspect of life. We respect honesty and we like to forgive. It's a simple concept that Ms. Stewart can still embrace, anytime she chooses.

• R. Foster Winans, an author, lecturer, and commentator, is founder and chairman emeritus of the Writers Room of Bucks County, Pa.

Page: 1 | 2