Telling the truth is like keeping your receipt. When questions come up, you’ve got proof.

Honesty is easier to maintain than a story. A true account needs no upkeep, since it already matches everything else, while an invented one has to be remembered, defended and kept consistent with every version you have told. Most of the cost of lying is future cost. Over time the true record is what people check you against.

When you are tempted to shade something slightly, notice the maintenance that would create. Say the plain version and take the short discomfort. You will find you can stop tracking what you said to whom.