Americans average about 11 lies per week. There are major ones, and minor ones, of course. Maybe it’s an excuse on why you were late or didn’t complete a task. Maybe it’s when a friend asks your opinion on a matter, and you wanted to be polite more than you wanted to tell the truth.

Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you should buy it. Just because you can eat whatever you want without gaining weight doesn’t mean you should.

A friend of mine is convinced that whenever given two explanations for the same thing, the simpler one is usually the correct one. You may know this also as Occam’s Razor, which is basically a problem-solving approach (from medieval times) that states that one should select the explanation with the fewest assumptions.

It is why Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam insists he’s going to “stick it out in office” after the discovery of a yearbook photo where he wore blackface to impersonate Michael Jackson in 1984. It’s why Virginia’s Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax says he won’t resign after sexual assault allegations by two women.

America elected its first African- American president in 2008 and then re-elected him in 2012. Eric Holder became the first African-American to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General. Then, Loretta Lynch became the country’s first African-American woman to serve in that role.

And even though Superman does lie (even if it’s a lie of omission by not telling people that Superman and Clark Kent are the same person), it turns out that Superman’s mission in life – why he’s here – “fighting for truth” – resonates with us all.

Loyalty is an essential quality in any close relationship. It’s a strong assurance from another of their feelings of support or allegiance, whether it be in business, in a family, or in friendships. And not because they have to – but because they want to. Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.” That’s good advice, indeed.

Do you remember back, a couple of years ago, when an anonymous donor paid the City of New Orleans to remove, and store away, the Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, P.G.T. Beauregard and the monument to the Battle of Liberty Place? It made national headlines.