Essay On Lying In America

Lying has is a part of our culture, and it seems as if not a day goes by where you do not lie at all. Our world could not exist as it does, if we lived in a society in which lying did not exist. However as humans, we are prone to lying, because of our need to protect ourselves, or the ones close to us, that we turn to lying in order to either make our lives easier or to avoid problems. Humans have adapted over time into societies where lying is an evolutionary advantage, which has made it a part of our DNA. Even children, as soon as they can talk, are using deception as a way to get what they want, and these children have not even had a chance to learn to lie. Lying also continues throughout our entire lives, because it is not something that we can help, it is a part of who we are. When evaluating the argument Stephanie Ericsson makes in “The Ways We Lie”, regarding the reasons we chose to lie, however it is also important to consider extending the argument to include the idea that lying is not only a daily occurrence, it has also become imbedded into human nature.

Stephanie Ericsson’s essay, “The Ways We Lie” describes the different types of lies that people use daily to avoid conflict, get out of unpleasant situations, and how lying is destructive. From the onset, Ericsson sets the tone of her essay citing personal examples and stating that it is natural to lie under certain circumstances, however we must consider the connotations of our actions. She explains that there are different categories of lies and begins the essay with white lies, justifying that these minor lies are most often used to avoid confrontation sparing people’s feelings. Ericsson then cites a more serious type of lying, such as facades where people create illusions about themselves and their lives, for personal gain. In fact, Ericsson uses a documented case where a Catholic diocese ignored the plain facts covering up the situation because the church was in

“The Ways We Lie” is an essay written by Stephanie Ericsson, first published in the Utne Reader in 1993. The Utne Reader is an American magazine that publishes pieces from alternative media sources. However, the essay was mostly directed toward people who have told a lie at least once in their life and have may have felt guilty about it. The purpose for the piece was developed using original syntax, logical appeals, and descriptive tropes, the purpose being that one should think twice before telling a lie.

Angelo Segura English 12 Honors Dr. Jen 5 May 2018 The moment we proclaim we don’t or have never lied is the moment we lie. It doesn’t matter how well we say it, there are points in our lives when we are faced with certain situations where the only viable option to get out of it is to lie. Lies may be categorized, but whether it’s a good lie or a bad lie, it’s still a lie. Throughout her essay, “The Ways We Lie”, Stephanie Ericsson explores and exploits different kinds of lies we may use in our daily lives.

In the essay The Ways We Lie, author Stephanie Ericsson writes in depth about the different types of lies used by most people everyday. While listing examples of them, Ericsson questions her own experiences with lying and whether or not it was appropriate. By using hypothetical situations, true accounts, and personal occurrences, she highlights the moral conflicts and consequences that are a result of harmless fibs or impactful deceptions. In an essay detailing the lies told to ourselves and others, Ericsson points out one bold truth; everyone lies. Through her writing, Ericsson causes the reader to look into how they’ve lied in the past and how to effects others and the general greater good of society.

In 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology, Stephanie Ericsson’s essay “The Ways We Lie” focuses on the many ways society lies today. “We exaggerate, we minimize, we avoid confrontation, we spare people’s feelings, we conveniently forget, we keep secrets, we justify lying to the big-guy institutions” (159). It is common for many people to think of lying exactly how it is on the surface, not telling the truth. Ericsson’s essay forces you to second guess this stereotype and begin to realize that lying is even more prevalent in today’s society than most people might imagine. Looking around today with this mindset would help us make more informed political decisions, better decisions on friends, and better “next-step” positions. Our lives are not horrible places, but better steps for these areas of our lives could improve our lives dramatically.

In the essay, "The Ways We Lie,” the author, Stephanie Ericsson, tells about the many ways people lie and explains the reasons for doing so. In her essay, she talks about ten specific ways of lying that she believes are prevalent in today’s society.

We exaggerate, we minimize, we avoid confrontation, we spare people’s feelings, we conveniently forget, we keep secrets, we justify lying to the big-guy institutions. ”(Page 472 of Patterns for College Writing). The author analyzes the way individuals use lies to help and hurt themselves in everyday lives. Ericcson writes this essay not single out individuals or censor them, but to make people as a whole really deliberate before lying.

How often do we lie and never consider the outcomes? In her essay, “The Ways We Lie,” Stephanie Ericsson explores the different types of lies and the consequences of their usage. She effectively provides anecdotal and factual evidence to support her definitions of lies.

Lying is a virtue that’s known for being bad, as something that can’t have any good come from it. But when it’s the only way for you or cherished ones to be safe and alive, lying becomes a trait that’s not only useful, but life saving. Such as covering for an LGBT person in an unaccepting and bigoted home. Taken to the extremes, this form of covering could also be hiding Jewish families in your own home during WWII in Germany. It’s this ability to deceive and disobey that could mean life or death of an innocent

Did you know that in 2002, a study was conducted by the University of Massachusetts that yielded a surprising end result that said sixty percent of adults cannot successfully sit through a simple ten minute conversation without telling at least one lie? In fact, the average number of lies a subject told in the exchange was three. Lying has become so second nature to people that sometimes they do not even realize they are doing it. According to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a lie- whether it be a small white one or a large, intricately-knit web of them- can be told in a number of situations for a number of different circumstances. One circumstance in which people often turn to a lie for an answer is when trying to protect oneself from danger

Stephanie Ericsson is a novelist. She does a great job explaining why people lie and the different types of lies in her essay “The Ways We Lie.” Ericsson’s essay was first published as the cover story for the Utne Reader magazine in 1993. Ericsson tries to send an important message through her essay: “Lying has influence on nearly everyone we have known.” As she describes her experiences with her partner, child, friend, and bank, the situation becomes very familiar to the readers which have gone through similar situations every day” (31,32,33).

* Lying or being lied to can be very dangerous. Statistics show we are lied to up to 200 times a day!

This premise is not only humorous because it is so contrary to reality, but also unsettling, because it brings to light how frequently humans lie and are dependent on lying, as well as how the world cannot exist without it. Indeed, although lying is often negatively perceived, the ubiquity of it is observed all around the world, particularly in commonplace and social exchanges.

This theory considers crucial to know the reason behind lying and why most of the people lie on each other, so we collected some data that focused on students who still in the university university students to understand this theory more and why they use deceptions. In this theory Buller and Burgoon talked about the meaning of deception and how can the receiver find out the real liar through certain signs like verbal and nonverbal actions.