Though your nose may not grow like the fictitious Pinocchio if you tell a lie, it is a statistical fact that we all lie – from time to time. Shut your mouth! Stop lying by saying that you don’t! Some of us are better liars than others; some of us can even lie convincingly without blinking an eye. It may be a little lie, a big lie, or a “shading” of the truth lie by withholding critical information. Yet, for certain, regardless of the size or content of the story – a lie is a lie! Yes, that’s right, though admission may not be easy, you may be a big, fat liar. According to current research, “by age four, 90% of children have grasped the concept of lying, and it just gets worse from there. Just how bad is it? Let’s see. A. How frequent do we lie? 1. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of adults can’t have a ten minute conversation without lying at least once. But even that number makes it sound better than it really is. Those people in the study who did lie actually told an average of 3 lies during their brief chat. And I know you’re sitting there right now insisting you would be part of the 40% that didn’t lie. That’s what the liars in the study thought, too. When they watched the taped conversations back, they were shocked at how many fibs they had told. The average number of lies told per day was 2. That number is surprisingly low. Many participants were lying about the extent of their lying! B. Who do we lie to? 1. We lie to everyone. Our parents get the worst of it, according to “The Day America Told the Truth,” with 86% of us lying to them regularly; followed by friends (75%); siblings (73%); and spouses (69%). But in general we lie about things that aren’t important, little things that we think will make us look better or more like-able. C. What do we lie about? 1. Liars are indiscriminate on their subject matter. However, sometimes we do lie about things that matter. According to one estimate, 40% of people lie on their resumes. According to a study by Scientific American, a whopping 90% of people looking for a date online, lie in their profile. The biggest fib told by women is an obvious one; on average ladies claim to weigh eight and a half pounds less than they actually do. Men, on the other hand, try to use their profile to convince potential partners that they are taller, richer, and/or better educated than they actually are. But before you vow never to trust anyone again, here’s some food for thought: A study by the University of Toronto found that it is actually the most trusting people who are best able to tell when they are being lied to.” Lie detector tests are definitely out of the question. No telling how we would fare there! . It is highly likely that many would be too stressed to take the test because they can’t conceal their lies. Are you in awe of those who lie by thinking that you think that they told the truth? Let’s not forget the so called “private” conservative people who are reluctant to tell you stuff - are not reserved when it comes to lying. They are often times the bigger offenders since their lives are built around not telling anyone their business. Keeping secrets and keeping you out of their business remain their number one goal. Lies aid in that process. Did I hear someone reciting the childhood poem, “Liar, liar, pants on fire?” The fireman’s truth is to hose you down with water to extinguish the flames! Unbelievable – once you dry out, you start lying again! All of this tells us one thing: The truth is a luxury; it is worth its weight in gold since we hear so little of it! Photo credit: www.cartoonbros.com; Source: www.mentalfloss.com; www.psychologytoday.com
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