The recently published Lies and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them is an attack on right-wing propagandists in the US, but the title could just as easily apply to... well, the rest of us.
Human beings are not born liars, but the moment we can form complete sentences we begin lying to protect the feelings of others, to avoid punishment and confrontation, and most frequently because lying confers advantages the truth wouldn't get a sniff at.
ILLUSTRATION: YU SHA
Lying gets results.
"Lying has evolved for the same reasons as any other ability," says Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire. "It gives us a competitive edge, providing we get away with it."
Which might explain why evidence suggests we are lying more, on a regular basis.
One study by Bella DePaulo, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, required participants to keep diaries of their social interactions. Every one of the 147 participants lied, and three-quarters of these admitted lies were self-serving -- designed to enhance status or avoid embarrassment, disapproval or conflict. Lies played a part in 30 percent to 38 percent of their social interactions.
Such research confirms the suspicion of Sissela Bok, author of the classic Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life, that, "We are all on the receiving end of a great many more lies than in the past."
There are general reasons why this might be true.
"I think that people are seeing more authority figures and institutions lying -- thus giving the message that it's OK to do so," Wiseman said.
Charles Ford, author of Lies! Lies! Lies! The Psychology of Deceit, points to "a correlation between narcissism and deceit."
Others detect the pernicious influence of the media, in both its routine portrayal of successful liars and its barely disguised disdain for the honest confession-fixated losers as paraded on Jerry Springer.
But DePaulo's research suggests the media may have it right. Socially skillful people, she discovered, told a lot more lies than their clumsier counterparts. Many experts are agreeing with Ford. Lying, it seems, is becoming an acceptable and even admirable social skill.
Nowhere is this more obvious than on the singles scene. First dates have always involved a certain amount of puffery, but some singles now regard out-and-out deceit as a legitimate tactic. David, 34, uses Internet dating services and has lied regularly.
"Why? Because a lot of potential dates seem to be in the market for perfection. I think they use any perceived fault or personality clash to whittle down the list," he said.
"Studies show newly dating couples lie -- or heavily exaggerate -- about two-thirds of the time," said relationship expert Tracey Cox, author of Superflirt.
"They're trying to present themselves in the best possible light -- and given the number of singles out there now, you can understand why," she said.
judicious fibs
Experts believe that increased competition and higher expectations among singles -- with more and more happy to remain unattached, rather than settle for second-best -- along with the popularity of Internet dating (where fabrications can be on a spectacular scale, and also remain unchallenged), are encouraging rabid outbreaks of deceitfulness.
"We're so emotionally and intellectually evolved now," said Cox. "We all go to shrinks and grow up on a diet of self-help books; we've done our soul-searching and have our partner checklists ready and waiting. Can you really blame someone for lying to score a few more ticks in the right boxes?
"The problem is that many singles are presenting images of themselves that are impossible to live up to, and scuppering their already limited chances of long-term love in the process... If it had worked out, I could hardly have kept my poverty a secret. But sometimes you think you have to tick all the boxes to have a chance of a date in the first place. After that, you hope that charm will maybe paper over the cracks."
Of course, long-term lovers aren't immune to the conflict-avoiding, problem-burying lie either.
Once again, a buoyant singles scene coupled with unrealistic expectations have put new pressure on less-than-faultless relationships and tempted many into serious deception. A study last year by Cahoot found that a majority of partners lie to each other about their personal financial situation.
Other studies have found that women appreciate judicious fibs about their weight, looks and ability in bed.
But the Cahoot research also showed that lying is on increasingly difficult ground.
In this context, might a policy of honesty at all costs upset the delicate balance of deceit that we've stumbled into over the past few years?
Could lying be little more than the latest social art, as Charles Ford et al suggest? Possibly. After all, few of us feel that lying is inherently wrong any more. A lie is only wrong, general consensus runs, because it might be discovered, and then cause hurt and upset.
But that, of course, is the real issue. We might be great and prolific liars these days, but we're not any better at recovering or forgiving if we discover that we've been lied to.
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