Why, on Earth, do people lie?

Question

I mean... it would be much more simpler just to tell the truth. Why doesn't anyone seem to understand that ?

Thanks to all who answered my question, your answers gave me a lot of thinking, since almost each of you expressed a strong and pertinent point of view. Thanks again.

Answer 1

To manipulate and survive is the instinct of animals.
Only more refined by humans with their intellect.
For that matter, why do you think a chameleon should lie donning different colors each time? Is it not to save its skin- a faculty given by God and the nature?
So is the case with our soldiers wearing camouflage uniform on warfronts.
You see sometimes truth can be very bitter and to say it is stupid, unwise, unsocial, and undiplomatic and impolite-- the last one is when you ask a man to zip up his fly in a meeting.

Serious lies in politics is considered as art practiced to some perfection –see it from Machiavellian politics and Kautilya in his Arthsastra from ancient India.
In body politique it is a sine qua non.

Next, for some it is a profession like lawyers, like me in my past, for the sake of justice and fair play -for it is definitely not up to one to judge others guilty without hearing from both sides and trying the evidence. As sometimes innocents plead guilty for lesser punishment or they hurt themselves-law should save them and try the case at the trial, to fishing out truth, say at least for the record for posterity and not to punish innocents.

Women lie they say, but I say they are naive and don’t try to cover the truth or maybe using their uncanny abilities baiting with their lies-like truths, maybe extracting from other women mostly the real truth. Of course, they lie about age-- take this truth from me. Please don’t scratch your head.

No body tries to understand us because no one is there who is not a liar, including a dead lawyer on whose epitaph it is written--here he lies still--.LOL

Answer 2

Fear. Even those who use it as a form of advantage when stripped of all other root causes suffer from fear of losing and distrust of the person their speaking with. Fear is why it's not easy because we are not born heroic, but mundane.

The more frightening aspect, is people lie to themselves, and believe it. The Nazis gained dominance by fostering vast deceptions, but they could not have gained so much influence without a public willing to believe the lies. It's the secret behind man's inhumanity to man.

Lastly, you should be careful with claiming to know the truth about anything and especially with any degree of vehemence. More often than not, the truth may not be what we believe it is due to our own self-deception, ignorance, or bewilderment. Those who argue with passion too often are tenaciously hanging on to the last thread of some self-deception they've believed for far too long. Without that lie the actions they've taken and the loses they have suffered over it are a waste. It's only when calm and serene you may trust reason.

Good journeys.

Answer 3

So you honestly think that everything would be smoother if every single question got an honest answer?

What would u do if some person that u absolutely hated asked u in front of 10 of her friends if u hated her?

Would u tell a white lie? That's how it starts...

What if a married person that u kind of had a crush on asked u if u had a crush on them? What if their spouse asked u? Can u see how it might be advantageous to tell a lie?

Answer 4

Some people can't handle the truth...so you have to tell them lies...like...Let's say someone looks really bad in their clothes...but they normally don't dress up so they've tried their best....you say they look nice anyway because you don't want to hurt their feelings because that was the best they could do.

Just like you don't tell a child their crude drawing looks bad. You say it's nice and ask them to tell you about the drawing and then you hang it on the wall.

Others want to hear it but no one will tell them the truth because they're afraid of hurting them and Crushing them.

That's how lies START after that it's much easier to lie than to have to hurt someone at all, even if they find out...later and that hurts them more.

Answer 5

A lot of "white lies" are told to spare someone's feelings, prevent an argument, etc., but I don't really understand why people tell such whoppers sometimes. I guess they think they'll have some sort of upper hand with the person they're lying to and they'll get away with it.

Answer 6

People do not lie over here . They dish out what I call alternate truth . becuase ninetypercent time it is these alternate truths which are acted upon ,decision based on ,emotions wasted on and mankind perish for.Let's call it alternate truth if it so widely used and banked upon

Answer 7

I can vouch for what your saying, but the truth of the matter is that we have no control over what others say or do only our own. Simply put can you accept to live by the truth, I try to.

Answer 8

because the truth about us hurts other people. people are not broad minded. only very few are. even if we have to tell the truth we have to cover it in sugar.

Answer 9

One major reason that people lie is because they have low self esteem

Answer 10

to gain an advantage or nowto lose an advantage over sth...
and i believe sometimes you should tell fibs.....
telling the truth will not work all the time....