"Deception"

Lies, deception, and a false sense of security that is pummeled with a blunt "surprise" plague most of us throughout our lives. Your significant other is having an online affair that get's physical, your best friend has been using you as a scapegoat to be a hero amongst a larger crowd, a mother or father turn their back when we need them the most. Deception is powerful, comes fast and in large doses. Many of us will not know how to react when this occurs. Personally, I have seen first hand the damage this can cause in someone's life. I started asking how to prevent this. Was it the people I worked with, the friends I surrounded myself with, or the places I went.

The truth is, deceit is used everywhere. This usually hurts us the most when it occurs with someone we trust. If you never established a foundation in a relationship, it is not devastating when it caves in; whereas, with many layers there is much more to fall apart. Our first reaction to this is naturally to defend ourselves. Some of us will go on throughout our entire lives without ever entirely letting our defense down. Is there a middle ground here? Let's explore an example. 

You grow up in and out of different homes and develop a strong bond early on with a relative. That relative is your rock, and you view them with respect. They were there when nobody else was, and watched you grow through some of your most critical stages in life. You love this person so much, you look past small things, like shouting, impatience or even arguments you may have. Later on in your adult life, you find out this person was painting an image of you to all of your family that was targeting all of your deepest insecurities. This individual exploits your entrusted privacy with others so freely, taking no accountability for their actions. It get's back to you from other relatives and friends through social media and messages. You are grown now. It would seem silly to lash out, or hurt or to even hang on to it. You find it hard to breathe. Your shattered. This is pain.