Can Frequent Lying Rewire Your Brain?

In today's newsletter:

• Can frequent lying rewire your brain?
• Smiling can trick your brain into feeling happy.
• Your mood changes based on lighting.

Did you know that even small lies, white lies, exaggerations, and little omissions can literally train your brain to lie? Frequent lying can numb the part of your brain that feels fear and guilt. The more you lie, the less emotional pushback you feel.

Over time, this can also shrink or weaken areas tied to self-control and decision-making, so telling the truth starts to feel harder. Basically, your brain adapts to deception and removes the brakes.

Edward Bernays, the father of public relations, knew this and turned it into a business. He helped invent modern public relations by teaching companies and governments how to shape beliefs and emotions so lies felt natural, normal, and self-chosen.

He openly argued that manipulating public opinion wasn’t just useful, it was necessary and profitable.

Smiling Can Trick Your Brain Into Feeling Happy

Smiling doesn’t just signal happiness, it can create it. Even a fake smile activates facial muscles that tell your brain, “we’re safe,” which releases feel-good chemicals and lowers stress hormones.

Your heart rate can slow, blood pressure can dip, and over time it’s linked to better immune response and less chronic stress. Wild part? Your brain doesn’t care if the smile is real, it reacts anyway.

This idea traces back to psychologist, William James, who argued that we don’t smile because we’re happy, we’re happy because we smile.

So yeah, smiling can improve your mood and your body. Once companies figured out your face could reprogram your brain, they turned smiling into a tool for profit, training workers to act happy.

Your Mood Changes Based On Lighting

Sunlight through your windows quietly controls more than you think. It tells your brain when to wake up, when to focus, and when to slow down. When that light hits at the wrong time or in the wrong amount, your energy, mood, and sleep all take the hit, especially at home or in the office.

Automated window shades, blinds, and curtains fix that without you micromanaging it. Morning light can be let in where you work, harsh glare can be blocked automatically when the sun shifts, and rooms can darken on their own in the evening so your brain isn’t stuck in day mode at night.

This isn’t about comfort or aesthetics, it’s about removing friction between your environment and your nervous system.

When light is handled for you, your brain stops fighting the room you’re in. Not automating your blinds yet? Check out the RYSE SmartShade.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational purposes only. Details may change or come from third-party sources; always do your own research and consult a qualified professional before making decisions.