I Lied About My Test Score

When my younger sister asked me how I did on my math test last week, I hesitated. She's always so good at everything, and for once, I felt like I had a chance to be the star of the family academically. But that quickly vanished when I realized my score was just average, not bad, but definitely nothing to write home about. Instead of telling her the truth, which would likely disappoint both of us since she looks up to me as this shining academic example, I embellished a bit. I said I got an A-, which is close enough to true that it feels like bending the truth rather than outright lying. It felt petty at the time and even more so now when I think about all the effort she puts into her studies to impress me. But here's the thing, ever since then, my sister has been studying harder than ever before, maybe because she wants to live up to this slightly inflated version of myself that I created in a moment of weakness. And while part of me feels guilty for not being truthful and setting unrealistic expectations, another part wonders if perhaps this little white lie could lead her down the path of pushing herself more academically.