Lying is part of human nature. Not one person in this room, let alone one person in this nation, or even world, has not spoken a lie. It doesn’t matter how big or little it may have been, but we have all done it. And if you claim to have not, you my friend have just become a liar. We as a society are drawn to it and the benefits that come along with it. But why do people lie? Haven’t we been taught that lying only makes things worse? Do the rewards really outweigh the risks? These are the questions many people have, including myself. I hope to answer these questions in the next few pages by exploring when lying started, its influences on the modern day, and why I believe people lie.
We as humans find joy and entertainment in lying. It is plastered all over television in the media and TV drama series like Revenge and Scandal. Even Walt Disney devoted a children’s movie to it, better known as Pinocchio. The idea of whisking away problems with a few simple words is intriguing. Relieving the worry of getting in to trouble is tempting. When people are exposed to these temptations on a daily basis, they are more likely to repeat those actions in their own life.
We’ve all done it. We have all told that little white lie to get out of a task we are simply too lazy to do. For example, how many of us when we were little told our parents we had brushed our teeth before going to bed or washed our faces? I am as guilty of a truth crime as anyone else. I’m possibly one of the most dangerous criminals in this room, but what is it about lying that intrigues human beings so much?
There are many different types of lies a person can tell, but one of the most common lie our generation is facing today comes with the safety of a computer screen. Oscar Wilde once states, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person, but give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.” Teens see it every day on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Region One Confessions is just one of the many masks teens wear today. You may be asking yourself how this relates to lying. Teens making false accusations about their classmate, but continue to act like a friend to that persons face.
A lie is defined as a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; something intended to convey a false impression. This friendship is a lie do to the false impression one individual care for another, but in reality they do not. This is called an indirect lie using the perceived truth.
One reason I believe humans lie is to generate some type of end result that is favorable to the liar. Think about it. How many lies have we told that didn’t have a desired outcome of happiness or stress relief. None! People see lies as a “Get Out of Jail Free Card” and use them every time we are faced with troubles.
We use lies to help us get away with things we normally wouldn’t. We stretch the truth on the amount of people going to a friend’s house part. We lie about finishing our homework so we can play videogames. We simply tell our parents that we are visiting a friend when in reality; we are going with our boy/girlfriend to a movie. Lies make our lives easier and that is why humans love telling them.
Acceptance is another common reason people lie. Everyone wants everyone to like them. Acceptance is a huge deal to most individuals and some will go to extreme lengths to receive that acceptance. When individuals are not receiving the attention they think they deserve from their peers, people might resort to lying about themselves. They want to seem like a more interesting person. This type of lie is the one I consider to be most dangerous however. This lie may resort in a person changing themselves from who they truly are into a conformist monkey.
Lies have power behind them. People strive for that power. To be a good liar is considered to be a great manipulator. To be a great manipulator is considered to be an honorable trait. Manipulation is the one main reason I believe lying is such a huge part in our society today. People lie about many things, but all for one reason; to be able to manipulate others. Most people want what is best for them and lying is an easy way to the top.
Whether we mean to or not, everyone will tell a lie in their lifetime. It is in our history. It is in our culture. It is in our human nature. Humans are drawn to the positive effects of lying: The worry of getting caught, the wonderment of how far we can stretch the truth and the amazement when the perfect lie is pulled off. Most humans think about lying before they consider telling the truth. We think that coming up with an outrageous situation that everyone ends up happy in is the right way end a conversation, but like the great Margaret Thatcher once said, “Watch your thoughts for they become your words. Watch your words for they become your actions. Watch your actions for they become your habits. Watch your habits for they become your character and watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
So I ask you this. If lying is human nature, is humanity destined to become nothing more than a mask hiding the harsh truth of reality or has it already become it?