Sometimes the stakes are high and lies are necessary to safeguard someone’s well-being. In these types of situations, lying for the sake of protecting yourself or loved ones is deemed acceptable:
Lying to an abuser to escape from or
protect someone from domestic abuse.
Why do we lie to protect others?
To Protect Feelings
While some people who lie want to protect the feelings of others and spare someone else pain or hurt, many people lie to protect their
own
feelings, self-esteem, self-confidence, or other personal emotion.
Is it OK to lie to avoid hurting someone feelings?
Lying is wrong
. Even if you lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, to make yourself seem kinder, or to prevent embarrassment, it’s the wrong thing to do. … Liars say it upsets them to lie and they end up feeling less close to anyone they lie to.
What are good reasons to lie?
- To avoid being punished. …
- To obtain a reward not otherwise readily obtainable. …
- To protect another person from being punished. …
- To protect oneself from the threat of physical harm. …
- To win the admiration of others. …
- To get out of an awkward social situation. …
- To avoid embarrassment.
Is it OK to lie in order to protect someone?
But before lying to protect someone’s interests or feelings,
ask yourself not only whether you are lying to protect them
, but also whether that person would believe your lie was well-intended if they found out. … Even though paternalistic lies are often well-intentioned, if uncovered, they will usually backfire.
What’s bad about lying?
Getting caught in a lie often destroys relationships.
Lying has consequences
. When someone finds out you have lied, it affects how that person deals with you forever. If your spouse lies, you may be able to work it out in therapy, but an employer is not likely to forgive.
Are there times when lying is acceptable?
Yes, there are times when lying is acceptable
, but only when it’s a white lie that is not going to harm anybody. For example, say an acquaintance of yours,someone who is not a close riend, were to ask you about his/her clothes or hairstyle.
Is it OK to tell white lies?
White lies are often innocuous. We tell them to create a magical world for our children, or, more often, as a way to be polite and demonstrate social manners. Overall,
white lies are for beneficial purposes
. Being totally honest in some cases would create unpleasantness or be offensive.
How does lying affect relationships?
Lying quickly erodes that trust
, hurting both parties in the process. Whether it is keeping secrets or telling a little white lie, lying destroys one of the fundamental pillars of a healthy relationship — trust. … Lies not only grow but they tend to become addictive especially if you have gotten away with a few already.
What to do if someone lies to you?
- You can do nothing. Maybe you are not winning much from calling someone out. …
- Use humor – acknowledge the lie but give the liar a chance to admit without creating an awkward situation.
- Interrogate the defendant. …
- Call them out.
What are the 5 signs that someone is lying?
- A Change in Speech Patterns. One telltale sign someone may not be telling the whole truth is irregular speech. …
- The Use of Non-Congruent Gestures. …
- Not Saying Enough. …
- Saying Too Much. …
- An Unusual Rise or Fall in Vocal Tone. …
- Direction of Their Eyes. …
- Covering Their Mouth or Eyes. …
- Excessive Fidgeting.
What is a narcissistic liar?
It follows that narcissists may
overestimate their lie-telling ability
and report frequent lying merely because they tend to self-enhance desirable abilities. Specifically, narcissists’ self-assessments of their lying abilities and self-reports of lying may not be valid indicators of their actual lying behavior.
What mental illness causes lying?
Pathological lying is a symptom of various personality disorders, including
antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic personality disorders
. Other conditions, such as borderline personality disorder, may also lead to frequent lies, but the lies themselves are not considered pathological.
What are the 7 reasons to lie?
- To preserve their self-image. …
- Personality disorders and pathological, compulsive lying. …
- To protect a relationship or someone else’s feelings. …
- To protect someone else. …
- To impress people and boost one’s reputation. …
- To mitigate or evade conflict. …
- Instant gratification.
Is it better to lie or tell the truth?
Our brains are naturally better at telling the truth than lying
, but repeated lying can overcome our tendency for veracity, making subsequent lying easier – and possibly undetectable. Lying also takes measurably longer than telling the truth.
How do u stop lying?
- Find triggers.
- Know your lie type.
- Set boundaries.
- Consider the worst.
- Start small.
- Maintain privacy.
- Evaluate the goal.
- Learn acceptance.
