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Why Do People Lie Essay

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“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes” (Spurgeon). A lie is like a wildfire, once it is started it spreads until it can be put out. People of all ages lie for multiple different reasons, and in many different situations. But what really is a lie? According to Dictionary.com a lie is “a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood” (Huffington Mifflin Company). Why do people lie? Guilt causes people to lie because they do not want to let someone down they want the lie to be true, and they are trying to protect their social status. According to Dictionary.com, Guilt is defined as “a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined” (Dictionary.com). Many times when people find themselves lying in attempt of not letting someone down. An example would be when a women’s daughter asks her if she will be at her dance recital, and she answers yes, even though she will be busy at work. She tells this lie to avoid letting her daughter down, even though it is not the truth. In cases like …show more content…

For example last week Dave stepped on the scale after working out for three weeks. The scale read that he had gained two pounds. Dave was extremely shocked. When Sally asked Dave if he had lost weight this week, he replied “Yes, I lost five pounds!” In this situation Dave lied because he wanted the lie to be true, he wanted to have lost five pounds so he decided to lie and said he did. Sometimes people feel so much guilt over something not happening the right way or the way it should be, they choose to lie and pretend it is true. According to BrainyQuote.com, “A lie told often enough becomes the truth” (Vladimir). Reality can be a hard thing to face sometimes, so people find it easier to lie and create their own perfect reality within their

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