Th Truth About Lying

For centuries people have grown up learning that honesty is the best policy and lying is a sin; however, the act of lying is not that simple. All lies are not the same. According to "The U.S. Political Campaign: Lies, Lies, Lies," there are different types of lying. Lies to protect others are commonly known as white lies. These can be as simple as complementing someone on a new haircut, even though one may personally find it hideous. This type of lie is also used in life or death situations, commonly used in the military and secret services. Lies in the interest of the liar are often used when pleading innocent of an action the liar is guilty of. These lies are also frequently used when trying to embellish or create a story to impress others. Lies to cause harm are the lies that are most feared and resented. These lies are deceiving statements often created to hurt people or cause mischief. Some lies are so simple that most people wouldn't even think twice about it; however, some lies cause can cause extreme havoc; they give lying its bad connotation. Irrespective of the type of lie, lying is perceived as an improper act; however, it is an act regularly occurring in the daily life of an average human being.

Lying is not always a bad thing; sometimes it can be justified. "It's the Truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying", a nonfictional article by Life on NBCNEWS.com presents polls taken by Americans exposing that lying is wrong; however, sometimes it can be necessary and acceptable. This article shows how lying is often simpler than telling the truth, and people often opt for the easy way out. Lying is also a very common act in daily lives, as shown by a college study. Lying has a negative association, which it does not always deserve. Lying can be justified when used to protect others.

Many people often choose to tell lies, for it is easier than telling the truth. "Apparently white lies are an acceptable, even necessary, part of many lives – even though we dislike the idea of lying" (3). Parents regularly lie to their children to break bad habits, instill good qualities, encourage imagination, or teach them a lesson. Rebecca Campbell "recently told her 4-year-old that there were no more cartoons on TV" in order to turnoff the television (4). She knew that telling him the truth would have been better, yet she settled for a timesaving lie. She believes that telling a lie is "‘easier than telling the truth'" (5). Teresa Velin, like many other Americans, notes how not all lies are harmful; some are used to spare feelings. That is "why new haircuts receive so many compliments" and why she lied to her friend telling her she was busy, instead of telling her the truth of her laziness (6). She didn't want "to ruin a friendship," so, like many others would do, she decided to lie (6). "In the AP-Ipsos poll, 65 percent of those questioned said it was sometimes OK to lie to avoid hurting someone's feelings" (7). When questioned about lying as a topic overall, 52 percent said lying was never justified. This incongruity of data presents the balance between what people have been taught all their lives, and what people truly believe is acceptable.

The act of lying occurs often in an average person's daily life. In the late 1990s, Bella DePaulo, a visiting professor at UC Santa Barbara, conducted a study asking "77 college students and later, 70 people in