When your doctor asks how often you exercise, do you give her an honest answer? How about when she asks what you’ve been eating lately? If you’ve ever stretched the truth, you’re not alone.

60 to 80 percent of people surveyed have not been forthcoming with their doctors about information that could be relevant to their health, according to a new study. Besides fibbing about diet and exercise, more than a third of respondents didn’t speak up when they disagreed with their doctor’s recommendation. Another common scenario was failing to admit they didn’t understand their clinician’s instructions.

When respondents explained why they weren’t transparent, most said that they wanted to avoid being judged, and didn’t want to be lectured about how bad certain behaviors were. More than half were simply too embarrassed to tell the truth. (1)

We try to hide our true self from the doctor.

Because we are ashamed of the truth.

But the question is not whether we can hide the truth.

But whom we can hide that truth from.

It is important that your doctor knows the truth.

But it is more important that you do.

And you cannot hide the truth from those who need to know it.

You cannot hide anything from yourself.

Outside the cosmos you are roaming.

Believing you can outrun the forest.

But no matter how fast you run…

You will always be engulfed by it…

Stop running.

No doctor, I am not exercising at all.

Good…

Can you smell the flowers?