The Magic Mirror That Saw Lies

Erik had always been quite proud of his reputation. At twenty-eight, he was already well-known in Stockholm, a city he liked for its blend of modernism and legacy, as a financial adviser. His life on paper was ideal: a good job, a circle of powerful friends, and peer esteem. But under the shiny surface, Erik harbored a secret.

His achievement was not his own. He had perfected the art of embellishment—owning responsibility for ideas not of his own, overstretching his achievements, and meticulously building a reputation as always in charge. Erik seemed to many close to him the definition of success. If he were really honest with himself, though, he realized the truth: his life was based on half-truths, small white falsehoods, and an image he had crafted for others.

Still, that was precisely what enabled him to flourish. Alternatively, he believed.

One evening, Erik observed something he had never seen before as he strolled home following a demanding workday at the office—a small shop on the edge of the street. The windows were darkly lighted, and there seemed to be an odd radiance from inside. Above the door, the sign just said, “The Mirror of Truth.”

He experienced an odd feeling—an uncomfortable curiosity coupled with a little incredulity. Erik was not the kind to get caught in superstition or legend; he had heard of strange stores like this, full of wonders and oddities. He was factual-based and pragmatic. Still, something pulled at him and drove him inside.

A chime echoed through the tiny, musty store the instant the door opened. Standing behind the counter, a woman had keen but friendly features, and her silver hair framed a face that appeared to have seen millennia pass. She looked up as he came in, her eyes almost knowing meeting his.

She said, “You’re here for the mirror,” her voice calm but not harsh.

Uncertain about how to reply, Erik arched an eyebrow. “The mirror?” he enquired, clearly dubious.

She nodded, never looking away from his. “The one with the lying eye. I assume you know of it.

He let out a tense laugh. Though I’m not sure what sort of game this is, I don’t believe in magic mirrors.

Just smiling was Astrid, the shopkeeper. It has nothing to do with magic. It’s about truth here. The mirror lies nowhere. It only shows what is hidden—from oneself as much as from others.

Erik had a wave of discomfort. Though he had no idea why he became immediately fascinated. Though he was skeptical, something about her made him question if there was more to this than just fancy showmanship.

“I’m curious,” Erik remarked, his voice betraying a trace of inquiry despite his better judgment. “What makes this mirror especially remarkable?”

Astrid moved aside and waved toward the big, elaborate mirror on the far wall. It was a remarkable work, with symbols Erik did not know deftly engraved on its frame. The glass shimmered just barely, capturing the light in odd, almost fascinating patterns.

“This mirror reflects your truth rather than your image,” she said. “The facts you keep from yourself and the ones you keep from others. Looking into it will help you to discover your actual self, not the one you wish people to believe you to be.

Erik laughed sarcastically. ” Sounds to me like a hoax. But what do I have to lose?

Astrid fixed him a knowing glance. ” Only the lies you have built your life on.”

Erik flicked a quick annoyance across his face. “I don’t have time for this,” he said. Still, he couldn’t get himself to go for some reason. He moved toward the mirror, almost as though some unseen power were guiding him.

He inhaled deeply and then peered into the glass.

Not much happened at first. He noticed his reflection—a man looking polished and calm in a custom suit, the image of success. But he looked further and something changed. Erik blinked fast, wondering whether he was seeing it; the reflection started to flutter.

Though his eyes were strange, the man in the mirror was still him. They were no more the eyes of the assured, accomplished guy he knew. They were haunting, vacant. He descended still more, and the reflection changed once more.

This time he experienced long-buried events—moments he had not even noticed were profoundly ingrained in his psyche. Years ago, he envisioned himself owning credit for an idea from a colleague. He considered himself dishonest to his supervisor regarding the accomplishment of a project hardly advanced at all. He saw the half-truths he had told his pals, how he had created tales to seem more fascinating, more competent.

Worst of all, he realized he was lying to his parents, telling them he was content while he felt alone and lost.

The mirror started to show him a guy caught in a web of his creating, distorted reflection. 

He looked more and more it became evident. Not the confident, successful man he had persuaded people of. Until those lies had gotten so big they had engulfed him, he was someone who had lived his life on little, unimportant lies.

His pulse racing, he staggered back. “This isn’t… this isn’t me,” he said to no one especially. This is not who I am.

Astrid spoke with calm yet forceful clarity. “The mirror reflects what you keep from others, Erik. More significantly, though, it reveals what you keep from yourself. The query now is: what will you do with the truth?

Erik stood there while his mind flew. He had forgotten who he was after spending so long living under the shadow of his falsehoods, passing for someone else. Raw and unpleasant, the reality was squarely staring him in the face. Still, it was all he had to contend with.

The decision

Erik had a challenging few days ahead. Every time he glanced in the mirror, the reflection brought back the lies he had spoken, the things he had kept secret. The weight of it all smothered him, but he could not ignore it anymore.

At last, he took a decision. He would face the truth first with himself and then with everyone else. It promised not to be simple. It would demand sensitivity, something he had spent years avoiding. Still, that was the only path ahead.

Erik revealed to his boss the overblown reports he had turned in. He corrected his colleagues for assuming credit for tasks not rightfully theirs. Reaching out to his friends, he admitted the falsehoods he had told to keep his reputation. Most significantly, though, he sat down with his parents and told them the truth—that he had been lonely and disconnected even as they believed he was living the ideal.

Though it wasn’t always greeted with pardon, it was always greeted with respect. Erik felt free for the first time—not because of his accomplishment but more because he was no more hiding behind a mask. He recognized that the real secret to success was becoming someone who lived in truth.