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macrumors 603
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May 31, 2015
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Why do people lie for no reason ? As in not tell the truth. Not talking about serious stuff just normal phone, mac, and pc issues.
 
Why do people lie for no reason ? As in not tell the truth. Not talking about serious stuff just normal phone, mac, and pc issues.

What do you mean, exactly?

I would look at the context of where (and when and why) the lying took place.

Is it professional, computer related or personal?

Is there a power imbalance between the respective parties to the discussion?

@moderniste, quoted below, put it well:

People usually have some reason for lying, even if it's not a very good one.
 
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Why do people lie for no reason ? As in not tell the truth. Not talking about serious stuff just normal phone, mac, and pc issues.

No offense intended, sincerely; but are you including yourself in that theory? What we sometimes claim others do is what we are actually doing. It’s a defensive mechanism called projection.
 
For various reasons, in part because we are sinful people and its so much easier to offer up a "small white lie" We all have found ourselves in situations where it was easier to lie then tell the truth - that's due to our nature. Sometimes the motivations maybe a bit more honorable , as you're trying to protect the feelings of the other person, or lazy because you're not wanting to open a can of worms.

All in all, out imperfect nature is such that we find it easier to bad things then good things, pure and simple
 
I never lie.
I have lied not often, but usually involving social situations. The big gotcha, do I look good? ;) Believe it or not, I have the courage to tell my wife when I don’t think she looks good based on a clothing choice. Mostly she looks great, she usually accepts my opinion and will make changes based on it.
 
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I have lied not often, but usually involving social situations. The big gotcha, do I look good? ;) Believe it or not, I have the courage to tell my wife when I don’t think she looks good based on a clothing choice. Mostly she looks great, it she accepts my opinion and will make changes based on it.

That is a famous one, ("do I look good?").

Actually, I used to ask the same question of my father, - I used to bring him clothes shopping sometimes as he was excellent company in those circumstances - who was a handsome, dapper, man blessed with excellent taste and a keen sense of sartorial awareness - and I listened to - and paid heed to - his responses, because I trusted his taste and his good will.

It works if the woman knows that the man is, 1) on her side, - i.e. she trusts him implicitly, and therefore the truth is accepted without rancour - and 2) if he has some sense of what actually works sartorially for her, which means that she will listen to what he has to say.

I gave this a like, not as approval but as truth in how people think.

People sometimes lie to shield your feelings and/or deceive you, while protecting themselves.

This: Normal people will lie in those situations - and these are what are referred to as "white lies".

Sociopaths - but that is a different discussion - will lie congenitally, effortlessly, endlessly and as easily as they breathe.
 
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That is a famous one, ("do I look good?").

Actually, I used to ask the same with my father, who was a handsome, dapper man blessed with an excellent sense of sartorial awareness - and I listened to his responses.

It works if the woman knows that the man is, 1) on her side, - i.e. she trusts him implicitly, and therefore the truth is accepted without rancour - and 2) if he has some sense of what actually works sartorially for her, which means that she will listen to what he has to say.



This: Normal people will lie in those situations - and these are what are referred to as "white lies".

Sociopaths - but that is a different discussion - will lie congenitally, effortlessly, endlessly and as easily as they breathe.
The US has several years of observational experience with this mental illness. I would not be surprised if you feel the same way about leadership in the UK. 😟
I never lie.
I forgot to mention in my first response to this post. Not implying I’m talking about you, but if you are too honest, it might be held against you. My Dad is not well regarded in the family as someone who tells it like it is, without consideration for people’s feelings.
 
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The US has several years of observational experience with this mental illness. I would not be surprised if you feel the same way about leadership in the UK. 😟

I do. Very much so.

However, in this particular thread I was referring to the general condition - by way of contrast with "how" (and equally importantly, "why") people wth "normal" human emotional and psychological reactions tend to lie - rather than illustrating it with specific examples of the congenital lying that sociopathic individuals routinely indulge and engage in.
 
I do. Very much so.

However, in this particular thread I was referring to the general condition - by way of contrast with "how" (and equally importantly, "why") people wth "normal" human emotional and psychological reactions tend to lie - rather than illustrating it with specific examples of the congenital lying that sociopathic individuals routinely indulge and engage in.
We had experience with a real sociopath/habitual liar, the daughter of my wife’s best friend. Now in her 30s, she lives with her parents, unable to make it on her own, after several instances of stealing from her employers, unable to maintain romantic relationships, one false claim of rape, including trying to make about $10k of restaurant receipts disappear where she worked as a manager. Almost ended up in jail that time. It’s sad, she needs help, but they just have resigned themselves to keeping her home with her consent.
 
I'm not good at lying.

One day a friend of mine was selling a computer. My friend told me tell the person "the computer had the processor... When I went to the person that was buying the computer. What came out of my mouth was "The computer was a few years old and slow." that was within minutes of my friend telling me to lie about the computer.

I still laugh about it to this day.
 
Maybe because they want people to believe in whatever they say even if it is not true.
 
The Internet made me do it.o_O

It's the anonymity afford by being a keyboard. I can be Charles Atlas, even though I'm a 98 pound weakling who routinely gets sand kicked in my face at the beach. Oh, you mean when talking to someone face to face.

Well, I lie to my kids because they can't handle the truth.:cool: I lie to other people, because if I speak my mind, I'll end up in traction. I lie to myself because I'd rather live in the fantasy world in my head than face reality.:eek:
 
I forgot to mention in my first response to this post. Not implying I’m talking about you, but if you are too honest, it might be held against you. My Dad is not well regarded in the family as someone who tells it like it is, without consideration for people’s feelings.

Hahaha, that was an apparently bad attempt at being ironic. Like most [all?[ human beings, I have ossioncally lied, I mean, if we're talking absolutes, we lied to our child when we said Santa brought her presents :D
 
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I really dislike liars. On the internet I don't really care all that much, but in real life few types of people are more unlikeable than (compulsive) liars. Their reasons for lying are anyone's guess, but I'd imagine it has something to do with escaping the boring reality they'd inhabit if only sticking with the truth / facts. But that's just me spitballing, nothing more.

That's not to say that I haven't told lies in my life, but nowadays it really doesn't happen anymore. The funny thing is that it isn't really the result of some sort of moral conviction, but more so because I have terrible memory when it comes to certain things. That's also nothing to be particularly proud of, but people with bad memories tend to make lousy liars, so I guess it all works out in the end. There's a quote out there by Mark Twain, I believe, that expresses the same idea more succinctly, but I forget how it goes, and am too lazy to google it right now.
 
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This one?

Everybody lies...every day, every hour, awake, asleep, in his dreams, in his joy, in his mourning. If he keeps his tongue still his hands, his feet, his eyes, his attitude will convey deception.”
 
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