UNITED STATES—It’s not easy to tell a lie and be completely convincing while doing it, is it? Think about that for a second because we’ve all been guilty at some point for telling a little white lie, but doing it with such a good face? How are we able to do so without so much of a second thought behind it?

There is an art to lying. Everyone is capable of telling a lie, it’s a question of how convincing you are when you tell that lie. What does it take to be convincing? To prove to the party that you’re telling that you have the utmost conviction in doing so, to not waver with your words, to not allow non-verbal communication to become a subtle cue.

A good way to perceive if a person is telling a lie is to observe their behavior. Let’s use the popular reality show “Big Brother” as an example. This game is the epitome of what lying is all about, the better the lie the longer you last in the long run. I will admit this season of “BB” has been perhaps one of the dirtiest games played in the series’ history, in my opinion. It’s not so much that people lie, it’s the blatant lies that they are telling. Bold face lies that have no truth or merit to them, yet these clueless houseguests believe every single word.

One of the worst houseguests this season in my opinion is Derrick, the undercover cop from Rhode Island. The guy is playing the game extremely well, which should make everyone adore him, but there’s a problem. There is no integrity to his lies. He scolds other contestants for being a liar, but he’s yet to be called out for his antics, which are no better than anyone else in the game. If you plan to backstab, lie, throw people under the bus, the least you can do, is own up to your antics. I respect a person who is able to own up to their actions in the game versus someone who wants to take credit at the very end.

The same goes for his housemate Frankie Grande, the brother of Ariana Grande. This guy lies so much its apparent that no one trusts him at this point; they are just using him to get further in the game.  His perception of how the house perceives him and how America perceives him will be a rude awakening when he gets out. He is not as loved as he apparently thinks he is. I can only think of one contestant in “BB” history that was such a terrific liar, you loved every minute of it. His name is Dr. Will. Why? He lied with such a good face, but you knew he was lying the entire time. His ability to persuade was key!

A good lie is not always about convincing someone of what you’re saying; it’s persuading them to believe it with 100 percent accuracy. I can tell anyone a lie and for the most part they’d listen to it. The bigger question is rather they believe that lie and go tell 10 or 15 more people like I want them to. Now kids, I’m not here condoning the art of lying. Not really a fan of it; it leads to another lie and another lie and before you know it you find yourself tangled in a web that is difficult to escape.

There is indeed a downfall to being a good liar; people will never trust you. Once you’ve proven yourself to lie with a straight face, the truth becomes a topic of discussion that is nearly impossible to escape. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Any questions?