Reasons to Lie
Many people think of reasons to lie and immediately are led to sinister thoughts. They need to get away from jail or they seek power. Yet, not all lies are self serving as we have learned. White lies are not always self serving, but are meant to keep morale. Fear of harm is a common reason for lying. This harm can be to others or to ourselves. There are times many people lie for fear of physical or emotional harm. We pass a stranger on the street who asks for change and those who don't just walk by will answer something similar to, "I'm sorry I don't have any." While this is being said the person is thinking that all they want to do is continue on their way and lying is an easy way to do that.
Avoiding punishment or conflict is another common reason for lying. Whether the situation is high stakes involving jail time, or something less severe like a child being grounded, people tend to avoid trouble. A child telling a parent they got an 80 on their test instead of a 79 tends to sound better and will not cause a greater argument. Lying about the electric bill already being in the mail when you had forgotten to even pay it, means you may keep your electricity for a few extra days before someone realizes that it is not coming.
For many, lies have become habit. As discussed we learn that lying is 'okay' in certain situations at a young age. As people grow that idea still stands and the lies are used more often. Without a second thought we tell people what they want to hear without thinking how it may affect them. You tell a friend that their paper sounds fantastic without really looking through it and they come back angered because they received a failing grade on the paper. They then blame you for not being honest and helping them. We lie and tell loved ones that things will get better during the worst times because it is easier than telling the truth. This false hope can be damaging many times. Unfortunately, this habit can lead to more problems if the individual starts compulsively lying. An individual can find themselves needing to lie or doing it without realizing it. With compulsive lying comes other problems such as the individual coming to believe their lies and creating a new memory of events that have transpired. Many times with compulsive liars one cannot see any signs of deception because they have come to believe their own lies. When lies become truth in the mind of an individual there is nothing that will give the deception away since it is registered as a truth.
Avoiding punishment or conflict is another common reason for lying. Whether the situation is high stakes involving jail time, or something less severe like a child being grounded, people tend to avoid trouble. A child telling a parent they got an 80 on their test instead of a 79 tends to sound better and will not cause a greater argument. Lying about the electric bill already being in the mail when you had forgotten to even pay it, means you may keep your electricity for a few extra days before someone realizes that it is not coming.
For many, lies have become habit. As discussed we learn that lying is 'okay' in certain situations at a young age. As people grow that idea still stands and the lies are used more often. Without a second thought we tell people what they want to hear without thinking how it may affect them. You tell a friend that their paper sounds fantastic without really looking through it and they come back angered because they received a failing grade on the paper. They then blame you for not being honest and helping them. We lie and tell loved ones that things will get better during the worst times because it is easier than telling the truth. This false hope can be damaging many times. Unfortunately, this habit can lead to more problems if the individual starts compulsively lying. An individual can find themselves needing to lie or doing it without realizing it. With compulsive lying comes other problems such as the individual coming to believe their lies and creating a new memory of events that have transpired. Many times with compulsive liars one cannot see any signs of deception because they have come to believe their own lies. When lies become truth in the mind of an individual there is nothing that will give the deception away since it is registered as a truth.