One older (from 2002) but interesting study noted that 60% of participants lied at least once in a ten-minute conversation, and on average told two to three lies. Even the participants who watched their own conversations back on video were surprised at how many times they fibbed. A newer British study (from 2008) says that people lie four times a day on average, which doesn't sound that bad until your consider that totals up to 1,460 untruths per year. Men, the study says, lie a bit more than women and, not surprisingly, that the most common misstatement is "I'm fine."
While we lie for all kinds of different reasons, from self-protection to avoiding punishment, experts seem to agree that there are varying levels of acceptance for falsities. A white lie told to tend to someone else's feelings or a tall tale is not necessarily offensive, but that chronic fabrications can indicate mental health concerns and compulsive liars are considered intolerable.
What I love about this list of 25 things that it is OK to misrepresent is that there's no obligatory discussion of whether we do or don't lie, whether or not it is ethical, or any of that business. It's just a list. A list that accepts that we're all dropping a little disinformation here and there and we need to just acknowledge it, nod politely and move on. A few of the funniest from it include (the full list is here):
- The number of sexual partners you've had plus or minus five
- That you totally just washed your hands
- That you're naturally toned
- That you can not do a headstand in yoga class
- That you made that lasagna yourself
- That you always recycle
- That you read all sections of the paper, not just the Style and Entertainment sections
- That you never ever, ever look at so-and-so's Facebook page!
And you, what do you justify lying about?
Your weight, how often you exercise, that you quit smoking for real this time, that you love to meditate -- What are the little fibs you feel are OK to tell?
