Why people tell lies could hold clues to one's personality, character and self-acknowledgement. Someone who is stable and has a good sense of self-worth would probably be less apt to lie, because they would have no reason to tell lies. The truth can stand on its own merit, and a person should feel comfortable with whichever way the winds blow whether in their favor or not.

Generally speaking, people with autism (lack of emotional connection) or very young children tell the truth more often, because telling a lie to another requires a certain amount of growth in social emotional intelligence. Studying the topic of lying can be fascinating when you factor in the various reasons why people simply will not tell the truth. Here is my top 10 list of why folks lie:

1. Advantage: The liar feels that they can gain an advantage in some way. Of course, the truth always wins out in the end, but the immediate gratification financially, socially in a peer group, or deception towards others makes one feel better academically or in employment which apparently outweighs the risk.

2. Jealousy: Withholding the truth gives the liar a kind of one-up-manship over those who do not know the truth or cannot come to know it. This backwards power-play allows the liar to triumph for a season until, of course, someone else comes along with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth who enjoys even more power over both the liar and the deceived.

3. Fear: No one wants to be caught in a lie and it is quite possible the truth could be very damaging. Telling a police officer you were not going over the speed limit will not help your case any. Better to negotiate in traffic court later, if in fact the truth can be found.

4. Compulsive Behavior: Some people actually are compulsive liars. It worked for them all through their life or somewhere along the way and they get an actual reward from not being honest most of the time. Of course, they are only truly hurting themselves because they are not being authentic folks. It leaves others alienated because they do not know who they really are - nor can they trust them.

5. Diabolical: Some people lie for their very livelihood. Felons, scams and other criminals have made a way of life out of lying to others.

6. Tall Tales Teller: Think Grandpa, who fought in the war, or Grandma, who was a knockout good looker when she was younger.

7. Self-promotion: The guy who pads his resume or really wants to close that sale at any cost. Some folks can sell ice to Eskimos.

8. Victim: Some people are actually forced into lying by their spouses, employers or people who hold them captive - often by money.

9. Clueless: The most innocent liar of all may be the person who simply just does not have a clue as to what the truth is and would not know it even if it came up and bit them on the nose. You find these folks most often as preachers, expert witnesses and health care providers - they often do not want to know the whole truth.

10. Stubborn: Once a lie is out there, it is very hard to retrieve it with any amount of grace and tact. Some people actually end up convincing themselves over time that the lie they told was in fact the truth. Saying it over and over again 100 times may make the person feel better, but facts are facts. If you hold onto a lie long enough, everyone around you will come to see that dishonesty has moved to the disassociated personality.

Learn more about this author, Cinda Smaagaard.
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