(172) These are not Cardinal Sins in themselves. They are the footpath that leads to the cliff. Each small distortion makes the next one easier. Each small fabrication lowers the threshold. Until one day you are standing at the edge, constructing a complete falsehood, and it feels almost normal.
It is not normal. Step back from the edge. Speak the awkward truth. Present the incomplete data. Admit the uncertainty. The short-term discomfort of honesty is nothing compared to the long-term destruction of a mind that has lost its relationship with what is real.