‘A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth puts on its shoes.’ I like this proverb. It’s especially true in the world that we live in. Thanks to social media, all kinds of audio-visual information get instantaneously communicated across the globe.

The apt saying was attributed to Mark Twain, although there is no real proof that it was him who first said it.  Anyways, the saying made me ponder about people and lies.

People lie. Me included. For a whole host of reasons. There is so much research on this topic. The findings vary, some a little contradictory, but all agree people lie. Humans lie one to two times a day, on average. Mostly, supposedly, white lies. Apparently to avoid upsetting or hurting people in our lives. The often given example is lying about liking a gift that you actually don’t. Then, quietly receiving the same gift from the same person you don’t want to offend or hurt, probably every year for your birthday or at get-togethers. It’s lame, yes, but kind of kind. So, maybe, it’s not so bad.

For me, what’s bad is a bold-faced lie, which is basically saying something that everyone knows is a lie uncaringly and brazenly. Sound familiar. And, repeating it enough times as if that would make it true, which sadly and ironically works on some people. Other types of bad lies (lies are generally bad and not encouraged whatever the reason, just to be clear) are fabrication which is saying to others something you don’t know for sure as if it’s true while exaggeration is enhancing a truth by adding lies to it.

‘The person who exaggerates usually mixes truths and untruths to make themselves look impressive to others. An exaggerator is a tragic person because he or she feels so little about themselves that they have to make up stories to look good to others.[1]

Why do people lie? To protect themselves. To save face. For personal gain. To impress others. To avoid some people. To evade responsibility. To prevent disagreements. To cover up wrongdoings. To skip work. As a joke. For no reason. Because no one contradicts them. Lies also extend to protecting someone else and helping others secure benefits.    

Who do people lie to? Mostly to friends, then family. Lies are also directed at school friends and business colleagues, strangers, and acquaintances. Just about everybody, in varying degrees. Hmm.

Lying is simply a condition of life, according to Bella DePaulo, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Virginia.  Her research found that both men and women lie in about one fifth of their social exchanges lasting 10 or more minutes. In one week, people deceive about 30 percent of the people they have one to one interactions with. Hmm.

She said women are more likely to tell altruistic lies to avoid hurting other people’s feelings, while men are more likely to lie about themselves. Men lie more often to impress. A normal conversation between two men contains about eight times as many self-oriented lies as it does lies about others.

This is interesting.

There are three key parts of the brain that get stimulated when people lie.

‘First is the frontal lobe of the neocortex. It has the ability to suppress truth. It’s capable of dishonesty due to its intellectual role. Second is the limbic system. Due to the anxiety that comes with deception, we feel guilty/stressed when we’re lying. Third, is the temporal lobe. It’s involved because it’s responsible for retrieving memories and creating mental imagery. Also, add the anterior cingulate cortex because it helps in monitoring errors. And, the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex because it’s trying all the while to control our behaviour.[2] Hmm.

The brain is obviously very busy when it’s lying and far more peaceful when it’s telling the truth. Why? Because the limbic system isn’t stressed about lying and the frontal lobe isn’t inhibiting the truth.

Whatever the reasons, telling lies invariably weighs heavy on the mind/conscience, and mental/general well-being of most people, not all. In fact, lies impact life and health more than realised. They increase stress levels which causes and/or enhances anxiety, depression, heart disease and sleep problems. They negatively affect confidence and self-worth which lowers self-esteem. They create trust deficits and damage reputations that impacts and destroys personal and business relationships.

So really, not much good comes out of telling lies except maybe at the World’s Biggest Liar competition. This is true. The yarn spinning contest is held annually at the Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge, Lake District, UK. Contestants or would-be liars have five minutes to tell the most convincing untruths to win the coveted title. ‘Lawyers or politicians cannot take part as people practising these trades “are judged to be too skilled at telling porkies.[3]’😊