The real wisdom here isn't about avoiding the mental burden of lies—it's about honesty as a kind of freedom from constant self-editing. Every fabrication creates a branching narrative you must maintain, a private mythology that grows more elaborate with each retelling. Watch someone caught in a small deception at work: they're not just remembering the lie itself, but the version they told to Person A, the slightly different version for Person B, and the anxiety of which story each person believes. The truth, by contrast, is monolithic and restful.