by Mayv 'SpearBourne' Amaia

Created on: December 03, 2009   Last Updated: September 28, 2011

One of my favourite quotes is something Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote: "Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that lives on in the memories of your loved ones."

It could be considered a philosophy of sorts, or how I try to live my life. Rather than concern myself with an eternal life that might not even exist, I live my life for today, for the here and now.

Don't worry about what may be waiting for you after you die. Just live the best life you can, and you will be remembered for years to come with love and affection.

It might be odd, considering the nature of the aforementioned quote, that another of my favourite sayings is "Everybody lies."

Though he was not the first to make this poignant observation, this simple phrase has become closely associated with TV's Dr. Gregory House, so much so that it is one of, if not the most widely known, House-isms.

He once elaborated on this during the first season of House, saying that it is "a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what."

It may be sad, but it is quite true. We each have our own reasons for lying, our own motivations for not being entirely honest. It may be to protect someone. It could be to spare someone pain or simply to be nice or polite. After all, who hasn't said they liked a friend's new hairstyle or outfit when they actually found it to be less than ideal?

Everybody lies. Sometimes we lie to ourselves as a way of coping with unpleasant situations. The realities of life can become too much to handle, so we find some measure of comfort in half-truths and well-intentioned fabrications.

The demise of a relationship, regardless of the nature and how and why it ended, can be so painful that one can convince him/herself that it wouldn't have worked out anyway or that he/she is better off without that person in their life.

Exaggerations and embellishments, though often based in truth, can still be considered lies, as can intentional omissions and selective suppression of details.

Everybody lies.

Another of my favourite quotes comes from the title of a Rolling Stones song and can also be considered a House-ism: You can't always get what you want.

This is another harsh truth of life, one that can be difficult for some to learn and accept.

No one gets everything they want in life. We start learning this from an early age. Our parents don't give us everything we want. They don't let us eat junk food to our heart's content when we should have more healthful nourishment for our growing bodies. They don't buy us every toy we reach for nor do they give in to every temper tantrum we throw.

There are times we have to wait for what we want.

As we stumble through our teenage years, we want more freedoms, more independence. We want to date and have serious relationships, to get the coveted driver's license and our own cars, to get accepted to a particular college.

Then we reach adulthood and enter the real world. What we desire continues to evolve, but we don't always get what we want.

We may want a better car, a better job, better pay or more recognition for our achievements, our own home, a special someone to share life with.

We might not always get exactly what we want, but, as the song promises, if we try, sometimes, we might find we get what we need.

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