The importance of honesty is sometimes assumed but needs to be talked about explicitly. For successful couples, honesty is at the core of their relationship. A person needs to be confident that everything a partner is expressing is the truth. Otherwise an individual is in the unsettled position of deciphering the truth and never quite knowing when the truth is being spoken.

Adults may have lied as children. Children disclosing the truth about inappropriate behaviors may have been punished. So in these households, lying may have been functional—to avoid punishment.

As adults, it is no longer functional to lie to a spouse or partner. Any short term benefit is erased by mistrust. Intuitive partners can sense mistrust. Honesty provides a strong, solid foundation in any relationship.