Raised in what he affectionately calls âour little honesty cult,â Michael Leviton was ingrained with his parentsâ core philosophy: you do not tell any lies; you do not withhold the truth; and you speak your mind always, regardless of how offensive or hurtful your opinions may be. For young Michael, this freedom to be yourselfâdespite being bullied and ostracized at schoolâfelt liberating. By the time Leviton was twenty-nine years old, he had told three (what most people would consider) lies in his entire life.
But his parentsâ enthusiasm for âjust being honestâ bordered on extreme. After Michael graduated high school and left home, truth-tellingâin job interviews, on dates, in social interactionsâslowly lost its luster. When the only woman who ever appreciated his honesty brought this radical approach to truth into their relationship, Michael decided it was time to embrace the power of lying. To Be Honest is a quirky, tender, and wry story of a man discovering what it means and how it feels to lie in oneâs daily life.