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Causes and Effects of Lying | Consequences of lying – Short Essay for Students
December 11, 2019 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment
No matter how careful we try to be about our everyday whereabouts, no person can possibly stay one hundred percent honest throughout their lives, and at one point of their life or the other, in one way or the other, it happens that they resort to lying for some reason- either big or small.
But nobody differentiates between lies as such, because whether big or small, a lie is always a lie, and it can be never undone or unsaid. Thus, the harm caused by lying can be described as irreversible, and therefore, we must be extremely careful about the consequences which can possibly stem from one seemingly small act of us lying for certain purposes.
Lying can also take the form of a disease, as some people can eventually become compulsive liars, as they constantly turn to lying, even if it serves no special purpose. Therefore, we must also be careful about the frequency of the act of lying we resort to.
There are several biological cues to lying as well- as in, there are certain specific non-verbal communication cues which might expose when someone is lying or not. These eventually led to the invention of a scientific device called the ‘polygraph’, or more commonly, the lie detector, which claims to accurately detect when one person is lying or not through certain bodily indicators such as changes in skin temperature, rate of heart beat, etc.
However, the accuracy of all such measures is highly debatable. Lying is an indispensable part of human life and we can try to analyse the cause by first studying the causes and effects of why people resort to the act of telling lies, which will be briefly described in this essay.
Table of Contents
Causes – why do people lie?
The most common reason for which people lie is the urgent need to hide truth. Day in and day out, many occasions take place which force us into certain situations where we cannot possibly disclose the truth, and therefore we necessarily need to conceal it from other people or institutions- either wholly, or partially. A lot of such times, lying, or hiding the truth is not very harmful and it can be quite easily overlooked.
However, hiding the truth, especially from the authorities can more than often land us and our close associates into troubles. For such reasons, lying to higher authorities such as one’s teachers or professors at educational institutes, one’s boss at the workplace, and especially the police, etc. is highly detrimental, and shall be avoided at all costs. Moreover, we also lie to save ourselves from different kinds of trouble, and, for convenience.
The most common lie of telling the teacher that you have forgotten to bring your notebook to class for escaping the consequences of not finishing the homework clearly demonstrates this factor evidently. We always want to gain all sort of benefits possible and therefore we also tend to lie to hide some undesirable facts about ourselves and show ourselves in a better light. This is also a part of our impression management.
For example, in interviews and similar situations, we try to only disclose the favourable information about us and hide the undesirable ones, so that the interviewers (or other people, in general) like us more than they would have if they had known the hidden set of facts.
Creating a good impression serves as one of the major motivations for us to lie. Also, people lie for the good of others as well, for instance, when they do not want to hurt someone or even themselves. Although this aims at not causing anyone any harm, but even this technique can very often backfire.
When we try to hide some truth from someone else to not cause them any pain, we are essentially not equipping them with the opportunity of dealing with their own problems. In this way, by wanting to not cause anyone discomforts, we somehow, maybe even unintentionally, cause them more harm than good. Therefore, even in this way, lying serves us no good at all.
Effects – what happens when we lie?
There are many adverse consequences of lying, but perhaps the most severe of all of those are the loss of face, or the decline in the reputation of the person who is lying. If a person is known to be a frequent liar, his or her reputation falls under severe criticism.
This can eventually lead to even graver consequences, for example, such people will never be possibly believed wholeheartedly by the others, no matter how genuine they later become in their endeavors. Thus, lying can jeopardize not just our present but also our future and can have certain long-lasting consequences.
Moreover, lying can land us into the exact trouble we have been trying to avoid by lying in the first place. If people come to know or get a hint about us lying about something, then they are also likely to play along and eventually cause us harm and tricking us into believing their innocence.
This is yet another adverse effect of lying. Apart from these, lying can also cause suspicion among others and lead to miscommunication and a certain degree of misunderstanding. This can prove to be very harmful, especially in interpersonal relationships, and therefore, lying to one’s close and loved ones are never advisable.
Lying can also make us question our self-worth and create a feeling of guilt and unease within our own self. This can also drive people to frustration, anxiety, paranoia, grief, and even clinical depression. This might be the worst effect of lying, as it hampers our self-image to a great extent, and distorts how we see and treat ourselves.
If we eventually lose the confidence in ourselves, then it might become even more likely that we will continue to use lies as our defence mechanism. Lying can also make us underestimate or overestimate people and their capabilities.
People are almost always lying about their identities, sometimes in a small degree and other times in far greater degrees. Therefore, we can perhaps never discover the real person beneath all the masks they wear in the form of such lying. Furthermore, lying need not be solely verbal.
Conveying false or untrue facts or messages through body gestures or expressions can also be counted as lying, and these are equally, if not more harmful to us. There is no possible way to stop lying. There is also no possible advice we can give someone to discourage them from lying in the future.
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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Lying — The Negative Impact of Lying: Why Lying is Bad
The Negative Impact of Lying: Why Lying is Bad
- Categories: Lying
About this sample
Words: 584 |
Published: Sep 12, 2023
Words: 584 | Page: 1 | 3 min read
Table of contents
1. eroding trust, 2. breakdown of relationships, 3. damage to personal integrity, 4. consequences for mental health, 5. distrust in society, 6. legal and ethical implications, 7. missed opportunities for growth.
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Why Do People Lie Essay | The Science Behind Lies and Deception
November 08, 2021 by Prasanna
Why Do People Lie Essay: A lie can be defined as an act of dishonesty or misrepresentation in which a person who makes a statement to another person conceals, misrepresents, or distorts the truth with the goal of creating false belief in that other person. The things that are being lied about may or may not be true, but are generally things that are private or personal. The act of lying has been around ever since the evolution of human language and speech.
The consequences of lying to someone can depend on the circumstances. For example, if a person lies in order to avoid being hurt, they may have a different set of consequences than if they lied to obtain money from somebody else. There are a few theories that explain why we lie and how we can create agreements that make people more honest. We will look at these theories and discuss the impacts of each in this essay.
You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.
Reasons People Lie – 6 Major Influencing Factors
People lie for many reasons. Some of the most common are to protect themselves, their image, or to be polite. In a survey, researchers found that the top motivation for lying is to avoid hurting the other person’s feelings. This is because people want to appear likable and trustworthy. They want to avoid being judged because (most) people are insecure about themselves.
Other reasons that make people lie are as follows:
- To avoid punishment: People may lie as they might be afraid of the consequences of the truth. Alternatively, they may also lie in order to make themselves look better in the eyes of others. An example of this is a child not revealing the marks of their exam to their parents.
- People will often lie in order to get a reward: There are so many different studies that show how people might lie for materialistic rewards such as money, but the same thing goes for social rewards. People might go out of their way to please others or create a better image of themselves.
- People lie to protect another person from being punished: People are often willing to lie to protect their friends and other loved ones. This is because they believe that the truth will result in them being punished, which can be an unpleasant experience for those involved.
- People lie to win the admiration of others: Humans are social animals. We crave admiration from others because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Our brains have evolved to want to be liked, so we will often do things that will give other people a more positive opinion of us, even if it means lying.
- People lie to get out of an awkward social situation: It turns out that people do this more often than they think. In a survey from the University of Massachusetts, it was found that 74% of participants admitted to telling a lie in order to escape from an uncomfortable situation.
- People lie to avoid embarrassment: It is an unfortunate truth, but it’s hard to hide the truth when you’re confronted with it. For example, people will often lie when they are asked if they have read the book they are supposed to review.
What is the Psychology Behind Lying?
Lying is something that most people do at some point in their lives. We all know that lying is wrong, but the psychology behind it is a complex topic. According to research, there are five reasons why somebody might lie: to avoid punishment, to avoid hurt feelings, for self-esteem enhancement, for personal gain, and out of habit. Interestingly, the psychology behind lying is not black and white, but revolves around a “grey” area. Another aspect of lies is that it has a snowball effect – that is, the more you lie, the more excuses you have to make up. And the more you make up, the bigger your lies become. Even a little white lie can eventually snowball into many lies, making it harder to keep a track of the lies. However, there are some ethical aspects to lying. For instance, a child who is home alone might lie to a stranger that his parents are at home and are sleeping. This might dissuade the stranger to continue interacting with the child.
Spotting A Liar – A Technique to Detect a Liar
Most of us have stereotypical views about a liar’s behaviour – such as stuttering, avoiding eye contact and fidgeting. However, these signs are not reliable and can also mislead people. So how does one identify a liar? The answer is – it is not quite easy to spot a liar, and it becomes especially difficult if the person in question is a chronic liar. However, there are a few ways to identify if someone is lying. Moreover, you will have to pay attention and also have a keen eye to spot a liar as the tell-tale signs of lying are very subtle and easy to miss.
- Start by asking neutral questions to establish a baseline: Start by asking neutral questions. These questions could pertain to the weather, plans for the day or anything else that would elicit a normal and calm reply. Then, when the individual replies to your questions, watch their reactions, tone of voice, pitch, eye movement and other details. This forms the baseline. If needed, ask more neutral questions to form a clear and solid baseline.
- Move on to questions where lies are to be expected: Once a baseline has been established, start asking questions where the individual is expected to lie. Watch their responses, observe any changes – such as a change in facial expressions, voice pitch, eye movement, body language and more. Hence, having a strong baseline is important .
- Observe the body language and facial expressions: Though the person may lie, the human body can’t. The body’s response to stress manifests itself in the form of tell-tale physical signs. However, it may be too subtle to observe and easy to miss if you do not have a keen eye. Other times, a liar may exhibit a nervous tick such as fidgeting, acting restless or tapping their fingers.
- Listen to tone and cadence: When a person is lying, their tone of voice and pitch changes, though it might be very subtle. Research has shown that their pitch increases when actively telling a lie. Moreover, they may also start speaking slowly or rapidly when telling a lie. Having a strong baseline observation can help make these changes more apparent.
- Observe when they stop talking about themselves: Individuals who are lying might use fewer “me” and “I” in their sentences. This is because they might want to psychologically distance themselves from the lie that they fabricated.
Please note, this technique might not apply to everyone, because each individual may react differently when lying.
Confessing the Truth
Getting someone to tell the truth can be a difficult task. It requires patience and an understanding of human psychology. Below are the most effective techniques for getting someone to tell the truth:
- Ask an open ended question, rather than a yes or no question: Open ended questions are also known as ‘complex’ or ‘elaborated’ questions. They’re easy to answer, but they require thought, and can even cause someone to reveal more about themselves than they intended.
- Pause and wait for a response: When you’re talking with someone who is lying, it’s important to know if their response is truthful. Adding a pause and waiting for a response can help you spot the truth in someone’s story.
- Use what you know about the person to make them feel comfortable: The best way to make someone feel comfortable is through small talk. Ask them about their day, work or hobbies. Doing so can help build rapport and the person might be less inclined to fabricate lies with you.
- Keep your tone of voice even and neutral: One of the most important things to do is to avoid using any type of emotion in your voice. For instance, if you sound disappointed, angry, or sad, the liar will pick up on that and may get defensive and start lying more.
- Offer empathy: Lying is often a way to avoid conflict and maintain relationships. Occasionally, people lie because they feel they are not appreciated or respected. It can be challenging to offer empathy when someone lies in order to avoid conflict.
- Show how telling the truth will be beneficial: It can be seen as a sign of maturity and honesty. If people believe that they are telling the truth, it could make them seem more trustworthy and less suspicious. Telling the truth also helps to maintain a healthy relationship with that person or with friends and family. Honesty is always the best policy!
Conclusion on Why Do People Lie Essay
Some people lie because they are afraid of the consequences. For example, being caught by parents for misdeeds, or being punished for not doing chores. The most common reason why people lie is to avoid hurting others’ feelings. Regardless, a lie, in most cases, can be detrimental to the liar as they will have to fabricate more lies in order to cover their initial lie. Hence, it is always better to tell the truth.
FAQ’s on Why People Lie
Question 1. What is a lie?
Answer: A lie is defined as an intentional act to mislead or deceive another. A liar is someone who says something that they know to be untrue.
Question 2. What is a white lie? How is it harmful?
Answer: “White lies” are simply lies told with the intent to spare someone’s feelings. However, these lies can be harmful because they can steer someone in the wrong direction or into a plan that is not well thought out.
Question 3. What are the reasons that make people lie?
Answer: The reasons for lying may vary, but the consequences are the same. Oftentimes, people lie to avoid something negative. Lying creates a false sense of security and happiness. It can seem like a great option in the moment, but being dishonest can have catastrophic outcomes in the future.
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Why People Lie
Reasons for lying
People resort to lying for so many different reasons that it’d be impossible to list them all. However, of the most common motives for telling lies, avoiding punishment is the primary motivator for both children and adults. Other typical reasons include protecting ourselves or others from harm, maintaining privacy, and avoiding embarrassment, to name a few.
How to tell if someone is lying
Avoiding Punishment
“I thought I was only going 55 miles an hour officer” claims the driver speeding at 70 mph. “My wristwatch stopped so I had no idea that I got home 2 hours after my curfew”, says the teenager. Avoiding punishment is the most frequent reason people tell serious lies, regardless of their age, whether it be to avoid the speeding ticket or being grounded. In serious lies there is a threat of significant damage if the lie is discovered: loss of freedom, money, job, relationship, reputation, or even life itself.
It is only in such serious lies, in which the liar would be punished if detected, that lies are detectable from demeanor – facial expression, body movements, gaze, voice, or words. The threat imposes an emotional load, generating involuntary changes that can betray the lie. The lies of everyday life where it doesn’t matter if they are detected – no punishment or rewards — that lies are easily told flawlessly.
Concealing Reward or Benefit
In serious lies the falsehood is usually told to conceal the reward or benefit the liar obtained by breaking a rule or explicit expectation. The curfew violator was able to stay longer at the party; the speeding driver is rushing because he pushed the snooze button when the alarm went off. The husband who claims the ringer on the telephone in his office must have been turned off when he was ‘working’ late – in a hotel room with his girlfriend – will pay no price if his lie succeeds. In each of these examples, the rule breaker decides before breaking a rule that he or she will if questioned lie to cover the cheating. Sometimes the reward could have been achieved – a high mark on an exam — without cheating but not as easily, it would have taken more effort (hours of study in this example).
Protecting Someone from Harm
Protecting someone else from harm is the next most important reason why people tell serious lies. You don’t want your friend, you fellow worker, your sibling, your spouse – anyone who you care about — to get punished, even if you don’t agree with what the person you are protecting did that put him or her in danger. It is not certain whether society approves of these lies. When policemen refuse to testify against a fellow officer they know has broken the law, we respect their motives but many people believe they should be truthful. Yet the terms we use – rat, fink, snitch – are derogatory. Anonymous call-in lines exist so those who volunteer information can avoid any loss of reputation or danger by informing. Do we have different standards for people who take the initiative to inform as compared to those who inform when directly asked to reveal information? I will reconsider this issue in a later newsletter when I write about children’s lies and why we don’t want them to tattle.
Self-Protection
To protect yourself from being harmed even when you have not broken any rule is still another motive. The child home alone who tells the stranger knocking on the door “my father is taking a nap come back later”, has committed no misdeed that he or she is concealing; it is a self-protection lie.
Some lies are told to win admiration from others. Boasting about something untrue is an obvious instance. It is common in children, some adolescents, and even adults. If discovered it harms the reputation of the boaster, but not much more than that. Claiming falsely to have earned money for previous investors moves into the criminal realm.
Maintaining Privacy
To maintain privacy, without asserting that right, is another reason why people may lie. A daughter answering her mother’s question “who were you talking to on the phone just now”, by naming a girlfriend, not the boy who is asking her out on a date, is an example. It is only when there is a strong trusting relationship, that a child would feel brave enough to say “that’s private”, announcing the right to have a secret. Another topic I will return to in my newsletter about trust.
The Thrill of it All!
Some people lie for the sheer thrill of getting away with it, testing their unsuspected power. Many children will at some point lie to their parents simply to see if they can do it. Some people do this all the time enjoying the power they obtain in controlling the information available to the target.
Avoiding Embarrassment
Avoiding embarrassment is still another motive for some serious and many trivial lies. The child who claims the wet seat resulted from spilling a glass of water, not from wetting her pants is an example, if the child did not fear punishment for her failure, just embarrassment.
Avoiding embarrassment is relevant to many less serious lies that come under the rubric of lies-of-everyday-life. Very often people lie to get out of an awkward social situation. They may not know how to do it – “can’t get a babysitter” offered to avoid another dull evening and food. “Sorry I am on my way out the door”, an excuse given by people who do not feel brave enough to be truthful even to a totally unknown telephone solicitor.
Being Polite
Then there are the deceptions that are required by politeness — “thanks so much for the lovely party” or “that color really looks good on you”. I don’t consider these to be lies, anymore than bluffing in poker is a lie, acting in a play is lying, or the asking price not being the selling price. In all of these instances the target does not expect to be told the truth, there is notification. But the impostor is a liar, as is the con man, because they are taking advantage of our expectation that we will be told the truth. More about this will be in my newsletter about the different techniques for lying.
Do we really want to know if someone is lying?
In most cases, there’s no quick or easy way to detect deception and, even if there were, we might not like what we discover.
So, while people often claim to want to know the truth, there are many instances in which it is more comforting to believe the lies. In these circumstances, we tend to ignore deception clues and excuse otherwise suspicious behaviors to avoid the potentially negative consequences of uncovering the lies we’re told.
Still want to know if you’re being lied to? Check out our micro expressions training tools to learn how!
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Understanding the Causes of Lying: Unveiling the Complexities
- Category: Literature
- Topic: Lying
Pages: 1 (523 words)
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Introduction
Psychological factors, social pressures and norms, situational influences.
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