Throughout my life, I have uttered three phrases that are bold-faced lies quite frequently. I tell them to myself, my friends, my family and even my dog. However, I am not alone in telling these lies, as they are some of the most common lies that people tell in order to avoid their feelings, avoid other people's feelings, or to get out of an uncomfortable situation. These lies are: I'm fine, It's okay, and I don't care.

Do any of these ring a bell? I thought so. I bet you even used one, if not all of them, throughout the course of today. Everyone tells them, but why? Telling them gets us nowhere. Telling them leads to things left unsaid and decisions of where to eat left wide open. Sure they are little white lies that won't necessarily hurt anyone, but they aren't doing us any good either.

Let's unpack these little white lies a bit and see what we could possibly gain if we simply just stopped telling them.

1. I'm fine.

Oh the emotions that this one covers up. A common use for the phrase "I'm fine" can be found within an argument between a significant other or a friend. The friend/significant other asks how you are doing, you reply "I'm fine," but inside you are fuming like a volcano about to burst. You are trying so hard not to make the argument worse that you mask your own feelings and let your rage bottle up inside of you until you can get home to scream into a pillow. Ironically, because the use of "I'm fine" is so popular in these situations, more than likely whoever you are saying "I'm fine" to knows for dang sure that you are not in fact "fine."

So why say it? Try speaking your mind. Tell that person exactly what is ticking you off or why you are upset with them. If things are already tense between you two, skip the passive aggressiveness and just tell them what's up. It could resolve the issue at hand more quickly and could possibly end with you getting what you want. And who doesn't love getting what they want?

2. It's Okay.

"It's okay" and "I'm Fine" are fairly similar, however "It's okay" is more frequently used when you pretend to be okay with a situation or an action that you are actually not okay with, while "I'm fine" is used for faking emotions. "It's okay" is used a lot in situations where something is happening that you do not really want to happen, but you go along with it because you don't want to upset anybody, make matters more complicated, or let people know that they screwed you over. For example, you were supposed to meet a date at a restaurant at 8, so you get there at 7:55 to make sure you can get a table and to make sure your makeup looks presentable before they get there. 8 o'clock rolls around and you get a text saying that they are sorry but they are going to have to reschedule. You text back saying "it's okay," when really it is not okay and you are debating if your hair will ever look this good again. You are not okay. What they did is not okay. Stop saying you're okay. Try texting them back and tell them that what they did was rude. Maybe by you speaking the truth, you can save another girl from taking the time to do her makeup and hair for a jerk.

3. I Don't Care.

This is the one I am most guilty of. "What movie do you want to go to?" "I don't care." "Where do you want to eat?" "I don't care." "Can I borrow some money?" "I don't care." Actually, I want to go to a romantic comedy, not an old western. And I'm really feeling pizza and not Pancheros. And no, you cannot borrow my money because I literally just loaned you $20. Saying "I don't care" can get people into a lot of situations they don't want to be in. But a lot of people (people like me) are just too passive to ever make a decision by themselves so they pawn the decision off onto somebody else. From now on, try telling people what you would like to do instead of shrugging your shoulders and saying, "I don't care," because odds are, you actually do.

These lies may not seem like they would cause any problems, but by telling them, you are not ever going to get what you want. In today's society it is important to speak your mind and let your opinions be known or you will never get respect from anyone. Being passive at times is okay, but try being opinionated for a day, it'll be more beneficial than you think. (Especially when picking where to eat.)