George Washington could not do it, according to one of America’s oldest fables, so should any of us? There are different degrees of lies, of course, some of which are more severe than others — telling your friend they can pull off that hat so as not to hurt their feelings is certainly in a different category than lying under oath. But small misdeeds have a tendency to give way to larger ones, so perhaps it’s best to do like Depeche Mode and follow the policy of truth. That’s easier said than done, but there’s something to be said for always having a clean conscience.