Back in 2016, Oxford Dictionaries crowned “post-truth” the Word of the Year. I’ll admit, I had to look it up—because it sounded like something that happens after you’ve had one too many Facebook arguments. Turns out, it’s an adjective meaning: “circumstances in which objective facts are less influential than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

In plain English? We believe whatever makes us feel warm and validated inside. If someone tells a “pants-on-fire” lie that lines up with our worldview, we don’t fact-check—we click “like” and share it with a heart emoji. Mama’s old advice to “never tell a lie” has officially expired. And that sweet story about George Washington confessing to chopping down a cherry tree? Yeah… that was fake news before fake news was cool.

As a fiction writer, I thrive in the post-truth universe. My whole job is to lie convincingly—and get paid for it. Sure, I research extensively to make the plots plausible. But let’s be honest—sometimes accuracy has to scoot over and make room for drama. If tweaking a police procedure or stretching a timeline amps up the tension, I’ll take that liberty. A good story beats a dull fact any day. Call it “creative truth management.”

But when I leave my fictional world and step into real life, I’m all for truth—no spin, no creative edits. I expect it from politicians (too optimistic?), reporters, family, and friends. Once someone lies to me, I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at everything they say afterward. Call me naive, but I still think truth matters.

After all, “truth” isn’t just a moral ideal—it’s literally the fourth word in the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident… Maybe it’s time we dust off that idea and start revering truth again—both in life and, when it suits the plot, in fiction.

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