by Sam E. Jones

Created on: May 28, 2010   Last Updated: May 30, 2010

People lie because they find the truth too ugly to bear; because they want to maintain the status quo, and because they believe, if only for a split second, that they can keep the truth from coming out and revealing the things they seek to hide.

People lie because they have certain wants or needs, that at times conflict with the wishes of those that are close to them, or work with them, or see them at large out there in our convoluted society, and seek to obtain those objects of desire nonetheless and then find themselves having to lie to protect themselves from being exposed, or to cover up their deeds.

People lie because they want the things they want more than they fear the repercussions of being caught, but feel the need to try anyway.

People lie because they fear change, even if the change is minuscule compared to the enormity of the lie.

People lie because they’ve worked so hard in building a certain image, and sometimes lying is the only way to protect that image or to keep it from being destroyed.

People lie because sometimes they simply cannot restrain themselves from doing something they truly want to do, even while realizing the possible repercussions of their actions. The lie becomes a part of the act, and serves as the vehicle for a possible safe escape.

People lie because they don’t want to face the harsh reality of the truth, or because they tell themselves that it is only to spare the feelings of another, when in fact it’s actually to spare themselves the blowback.

People lie because they want to believe they are one thing, when they are actually something else, and thus need others to believe in their warped reality too, otherwise it would be too difficult to maintain the ruse.

People lie because they want others to think they are more than they are.

People lie because they haven’t yet learned that acting in ways that don’t cause you to lie is just a whole lot easier.

People lie because they feel guilty for things they have done and don’t want to feel the humiliation that comes with being uncovered.

People lie because they cannot bear the burden of reality.

People lie because sometimes they paint themselves into a corner.

People lie because they are not brave enough to admit what is true about themselves.

People lie, because they can.

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