One uses it I suppose to emphasize what follows, but the implication is that you otherwise would lie. Who wants that to be how they preface anything?
"In any other context, I would be spouting utter bullshit at you, but not this time!"
Chances are I'm missing its cultural origins & am perhaps being insensitive. I have no idea where it came from, I am only saying what seems to me to be obvious: if you have to tell us in advance that you're not going to lie, I can only assume that not only do you lie regularly but you understand that I & others are completely aware of it.
It's like when someone says "believe me" all the time. Why do you think we wouldn't believe you? Is it because we know you're going to say things we won't believe?
Motivational speakers & the like will perhaps say that adding a phrase like "not gonna lie" or "believe me" actually reassures the listener. The truth is, we don't in general listen well. & maybe it's because we ourselves hardly ever say anything that's completely factual, that isn't gilded opinion, that we even expect anyone to actually hear.
In any event, I didn't come here to write this. It's just been pouring out of me, I apologize. What I wanted to say is this:
Not gonna lie, this day has kicked my ass. Currents events in the nation have occupied my mind making it impossible for me to focus on much. My computer might be dying, & I spent most of the morning trying to figure out why. I am falling behind on various tasks & that means I'll get less sleep than I currently do.
Hearing people say "not gonna lie" does make me want to preface emphatic statements with "not gonna lie." Some language is just contagious. No matter how dumb or problematic you might think it is.
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