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Originally Posted by dualman7
It's remarkable how much more enjoyable our lives can be when we are truthful to ourselves, and those around us. Non the less, every now and then I find myself exaggerating facts, and telling half truths, when it's simply unnecessary. The truth of the matter, as Benjamin Franklin put it, " Half a truth is often a great lie."
Why do we lie? Why do we exaggerate the truth even tho we know it's wrong?
Could it be us wanting instant gratification, and willingly sacrificing our spirit for that moment; or is it even simpler than that...
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A roommate I once had after high school lied about everything, from what he ate for breakfast, to being a internationally competive sailor. One of my wife's high school friends lied about having cancer (she didn't have it). Her employer organized a benefit at a bar to pay for her doctor's bills. She collected the $ and disappeared.
Other than examples of people who have personality flaws (or perhaps sociopathy) that result in them lying about everthing, it's hard to talk about lying in a domain general way. For example, lying to children about Santa Claus is different from lying to a partner about a sexual infidelity is different from lying to your parents about your drug use, is different from lying to a friend about whether you have plans for the weekend, is different from lying to yourself about how much time you waste on the internet. Different lies have different motives. Sometimes it's out of love, protection, or affiliation. Sometimes we lie to exploit or hurt someone else.
Edited: For grammar