planetdan

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 :::

LIES!

This article about lying is pretty interesting. Especially when it describes different lying studies they've conducted like this one, which I thought would be super fun to participate in:

... in 2002 [psychologist] Robert S. Feldman secretly videotaped students who were asked to talk with a stranger. He later had the students analyze their tapes and tally the number of lies they had told. A whopping 60 percent admitted to lying at least once during 10 minutes of conversation, and the group averaged 2.9 untruths in that time period. The transgressions ranged from intentional exaggeration to flat-out fibs. Interestingly, men and women lied with equal frequency; however, Feldman found that women were more likely to lie to make the stranger feel good, whereas men lied most often to make themselves look better. Read the whole article ...

Okay, so everybody lies (apparently a lot), but it seems particularly shameful to lie so often that you're not even aware that you're lying. You'd think that the more you were aware of it, that the less you would do it. So in the interest of self-improvement, I was trying to consciously remember the last time I lied, which turned out to be this morning when I told Wombat that I would leave K-mack a message that she called, when I knew full-well that I wouldn't get a chance before I left for work and I would be too lazy to write her a note. Reason for lying: sloth.

Other recent lies that I remember:

The Stanley Kubrick book I ordered cost $130, not $120. I routinely knock $10 off the purchase price of everything I buy. I don't know why.

Last night I told K-mack at 10pm that I was going to bed. But really I just surfed the web for another two hours. Then when I bumped into her in the hallway on the way to a late-night bathroom break, I pretended like I'd been upstairs the whole time fruitlessly trying to get to sleep. Don't really know why that lie was necessary. It's not like she fell for it or that it's a secret that I have an internet addiction.

The earliest lie I remember getting caught in:

When I was 8 or so my family visited my uncle, who made the nastiest looking split-pea soup for lunch, which I disrespectfully refused to eat. I still don't blame myself, cuz... yuk. So the punishment my mother doled out was no food for the rest of the day. Back at home that afternoon, I found a coupon for free Whopper Malted Milk Balls that I had clipped from a cereal box. I told my mom I was going outside to bike around, and she said "you better not be going to the store to buy something to eat," and I said "I'm not." Of course I did, and upon returning home I attempted to hide the candy in my room (Why didn't I just eat them before getting home? I dunno.). When I looked up from my secret hiding place (my bottom drawer) there was my mom, standing over me with the most shockingly disappointed face I've ever seen. She didn't say a whole word to me for the rest of the night. She just sat and watched The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston on TV, which I'm sure she thought was oh so appropriate. I ended up just throwing away the malted milk balls out of pure shame.

I dare you to tell your most recent lie.

::: posted by dan at 12:53 PM :: [ link ] :: (20) comments

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20 previous comments:

I have been telling people I am only 29....

By

Anonymous, at 2:05 PM

I told a some people I actually had a good time meeting them...Ha...just kidding.

The most recent "lie" I told was today when I pretended to not be home when some random people knocked at my door. I do that all the time. But again, it's to be nice to them...no one wants to see me in my pjs at 2 in the afternoon.

By

lynne, at 2:17 PM

I told Greg Michael still seemed like he was too sick to go to the zoo with his Dad tomorrow...

Michael seemed just fine today

I also told my aunt I could not watch her daycare kids while she took her husband to the doctor.I said we were going to the zoo with Greg's dad

I am also lying at the fact these are my most recent lies...that study is absolutely true though,95% of my lies are to make people feel good which really in my mind does not count as a lie.

alright I am lying again about 70% of my lies are to make people feel good the other % is fabrications and excuses to get out of stuff I don't want to do...I figure you already know this about me though.

By

Stacy, at 3:43 PM

I lied this morning, I said to a friend that I needed to get some stuff done - it was just because I wasn't in the mood for small talk. Truly about me...
I also lied last night when a new friend asked me to make time for him... I told him I would... I have no intention of doing that. That was for him, I am all wrong for him, he is lovely, I am not.

By

Ebabs66, at 3:56 PM

9 inches

By

Anonymous, at 4:14 PM

Mostly I just lie to myself, the last lie I told myself was today at Target. I told myself I would use the exercise resistance band kit to tighten and firm if I bought it, I know that the product will make it out of the box for a few stretches and I might even watch the video, but I will not be tight of firm any time soon.

I also told Dan yesterday that I would put together the last two dining room chairs this afternoon, I renewed the lie just a moment ago when I told him that they would be assembled tomorrow.

By

Kristina, at 4:26 PM

I NEVER lie.

There you go. Most recent.

By

Truecraig, at 5:13 PM

This afternoon I told my friend I saw Puppetmaster 6, when I hadn't, so she'd stop talking about it.

I lie about stupid shit all the time.

By

Robert, at 9:25 PM

last night i told a guy i designed a website for that i couldn't get the frames to work correctly on one page. the truth is, i didn't even bother building the frames...i just said it didn't work. reason: i think frames on that page would look retarded so i didn't want to do it.

told a coworker i'd go to a BBQ her friend is having in two weeks. i won't go. i hate social gatherings where i don't know anyone, even if it IS free food and beer. i'll probably lie and say i was sick or something came up.

By

Honey Bunny, at 8:16 AM

My lie is boring. I said I was 'fine' when actually I was far from it.
See...dull. I lie to hide my feelings all the time.

By

Monkey, at 8:47 AM

Yesterday in a job interview I said that my greatest weakness was that I talk too much. I actually believe my greatest weakness is my egocentrism. I'm female and I lied to make myself look better... Always going against the grain. But it was a job interview, aren't you SUPPOSED to make yourself look better than you are?

A site you might be interested in:

By

Anonymous, at 9:03 AM

That site link worked in the preview pane...
http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com/

By

Anonymous, at 9:04 AM

That is so funny Robert,I do the reverse.I have told people I have not seen something when I actually have to give them the satisfaction of telling me about it.

I saw the notebook twice in the theater because of it.The acting involved in having to respond to the scenes as if seeing them for the first time was oscar worthy.

By

Stacy, at 9:40 AM

Not a verbal lie, but still a lie - I just put my headphones on so my co-workers would think I was listening to music and stop talking to me. I'm not playing any music right now.

By

Anonymous, at 11:02 AM

This morning I told my friend that I bought a bathroom scale for $20 when it was more like $25. I know that doesn't matter much, but I freely spend my cash and she is so cheap.

I am supposed to be penny pinching for my move anyway. OH WELL!

By

Anonymous, at 11:09 AM

for years i have been telling people i am deaf in my left ear.

i don't know why i tell people that. What purpose does it serve?

i just told someone that the other day, too! i think i came up with that when i was 8!

Whaaaaa????????.....

By

locomocos, at 12:32 PM

I routinely tell my mother that I got something for free/have had it forever (thus the purchace and any comment she would have made don't matter)/etc.
It just makes everyone's life much easier. She doesn't have to worry about how I spend my money and I don't have to be mad at her for not minding her own damned business.
I've also lied to get out of going to work social gatherings (I hate hanging out with the "office crowd" when I'm not at work and forcing small talk.)
All of my lies are really petty and small, usually to avoid an argument or get out of going places I'd rather not be.

By

Jay, at 6:05 PM

Every day I pretend to like this woman at work that I can't stand.

I also sometimes let my voicemail pick up when I'm sitting right there- which is kind of a lie.

When I was little I used to lie all the time about cutting my hair. I always wanted to cut my hair - and often did - and then when my mom asked about it I'd tell her I didn't cut my hair - the big chunk missing was a big giveaway however.

By

Biglug, at 9:17 PM

Wow, that book just keeps getting more and more expensive. I don't know why you feel guilty about it, you want it, you like it, you work a lot, so buy it. Don't feel ashamed - remember that "$200" lamp I bought, It was really $499. Plus tax. Oh my god, don't tell my mom, she thinks it was $100. So I swear to god if you accidentally knock it over and break it the next time you are over, I will cut you with it's beutifully, glazed shards.

By

brent, at 1:16 AM

Man, this page reads like http://grouphug.us/.

I told my friends I bought my Oakleys used from some guy for $75 instead of the $200 they really cost. Most of my lies are about things like that that I am ashamed of.

By

Dan McCormack, at 3:48 AM

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