January 22, 2016

"How many people have you spoken with today? Chances are that most of them lied to you..."

"... and that they did it more than once. It’s a hard fact to accept, but even your closest friends and coworkers lie to you regularly..."
People lie in everyday conversation to appear more likeable and competent. While men and women lie equally as often, they tend to lie for different reasons. “Women were more likely to lie to make the person they were talking to feel good, while men lied most often to make themselves look better,” [University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert] Feldman said.

49 comments:

rhhardin said...

Without misunderstandings we'd never agree on anything.

Freeman Hunt said...

Not clicking on this fake, made-up link.

Gahrie said...

woman good

man bad

Mark said...

Twelve in person or by phone. Five by text or e-mail.

Pretty certain none or at most one might have at most stretched the truth a bit.

Mark said...

“Women were more likely to lie to make the person they were talking to feel good"

Despite this failed attempt to justify or make women's lies altruistic, they more likely lie to make themselves feel good, or rather, to not make themselves feel bad by being open and honest. And by not being open and honest, they just make the situation worse.

Birkel said...

I imagine this study, like most in the social sciences, is bull shit.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JAORE said...

I suspect the professor is lying.

Rob said...

Men lie to make themselves look better? Sounds right. Exhibit A.

Known Unknown said...

Had such a great day having nearly non-stop sex with Jennifer Lawrence. Off course, I had to take the G6 to Bob Hope, rent a Lambo (my preference is the DB9, but that was in the shop, apparently.) to get to her new digs. She's so funny and quite down-to-earth ... she even tripped getting out of the hot tub. That Jenny Larry! So fun.

What's this thread about? I forgot.

fizzymagic said...

Bad link. Seems to go to some Forbes-labeled malware-injection site. Beware.

bagoh20 said...

Bullshit! Women can't even walk out of the house without spending an hour or more applying a number of lies to make themselves look better. Just walking by silently, they lie. NTTIATWWT. And I'm glad they do, but let's be honest.

Paddy O said...

I don't believe it.

Fabi said...

You lie!

-- Joe Wilson

eric said...

I would click on the link, but I think Ann Althouse is lying to us in order to make us feel better.

Hagar said...

Sorry about that; I got into trouble deleting a double post and then managed to delete both.

Anyway it was about the Flint City water problem, which seems to not be that much of a problem after all, readily fixable, and in any case it is a local city government problem, except that the MI State EID and the US EPA should have been on their necks about it sooner.

And that I am much surprised to google and find that lead pipe water services and interior plumbing is quite common in the older cities of this country, so it is likely that Flint MI by no means is alone in having this problem.

Ann Althouse said...

Oh, no....

CWJ said...

Forget the study! Just tote up everyone you spoke with today and ask yourself if the conclusion is credible. I think most of us would conclude bullshit. The rest would have to ask what they brought to the conversation that would incent the other person to lie to them. After all, if most everyone is lying to you, you're also lying to them.

bleh said...

Women lie to make other people feel better ... so they can more easily manipulate them and/or exploit their weaknesses

Hagar said...

USA Today: Flint water crisis getting a tad overdone.

FullMoon said...

Drudge has gone to far !
A photo of Hillary rides above a headline about a farting corpse.
Even Trump wouldn't go there, without provocation.

Jake said...

No.Shit.

Joe said...

I suspect few, if anyone, lied to me today. Quite the opposite, I interacted with some very honest people, including a bank teller who could have taken me for a ride, but didn't and even waved a fee I was willing to pay. All in all, I enjoyed my interactions with people today. Even the old crazy guy I work with.

chuck said...

Robert Feldman is looking good.

Don’t Buy It said...

Psychologist lie quite often, and assume that everyone else does.

Gahrie said...


Got picked up by a new driver today. He couldn't get it out of first, but I told him "No problem, it happens to all of us." I was shitfaced, so I flirted with the guy (Gin always gets me horny) and acted like I cared about his miserable existence. So long story short, we're in my hot tub and the next thing I know, he comes as soon as I touch his dick. I tell him "No problem, it happens to all of us". I start to get out of the hot tub in disgust, but I trip on the asshole's pants. The next thing I know, he's on top of me and pumping away like an oil derrick. Thankfully it's over in a flash and I send him on his way. I've got to remember to use a different car service next time....

...Jenny

chuck said...

I'd say more, but I've got to wash my hair.

jr565 said...

a lot of people i spoke with today said they were conservatives. And then went on to say how Trump is a conservative. They were liars

JCC said...

That's the advantage of low expectations.

Who cares?

Wait...

David said...

"“Women were more likely to lie to make the person they were talking to feel good, while men lied most often to make themselves look better.”

Is my hair ok? Do you like this dress? Does this dress make me look fat? I'm really looking forward to this, and I bet you are too?

We aren't stupid. Or at least not that stupid.

Titus said...

I am sick of seeing Canada Goose jackets. Last year I loved the jackets; this year I hate them.

They are fucking everywhere.

Asians, in particular, are major consumers of the jackets.

tits.

Paul said...

Well, as Dr. House would say, "everybody lies". The only question is, about what?

jaydub said...

Any statement preceeded by "this is a no-shitter" is always a lie.

Craig Landon said...

No I don't. Honest.

Saint Croix said...

It’s a hard fact to accept, but even your closest friends and coworkers lie to you regularly..."

That's a lie! Wow, you have some shitty friends, buddy.

Satan is on the internet. Shock!

Oh, the whining of the secular. Go to Bible study and cheer up, pal.

Lewis Wetzel said...

The only honest people in the world are blog commenters.

Saint Croix said...

The only honest people in the world are blog commenters.

It's a lot easier to be honest on the internet. You're anonymous, nobody knows who you are, you can (finally!) say what you think. Occasionally we get some moby around here, but it's rare. Mostly it's obnoxious hillbillies saying exactly what they think.

And the scary shit is when we take this behavior out into the world! Boy that was a big step for me.

rehajm said...

So either this story is a lie or the pants on fire thing is.

hoyden said...

Ah, a link to forbes...

"take down your ad blocker and prepare to be boarded."

I don't think so.

hoyden said...

The proposition that "People lie in everyday conversation to appear more likable and competent." highlights they have something to hide that they are ashamed of; a facade personality.

They would choose the facade over authenticity. Why not try to honestly be likable and competent, or avoid situations where those are relevant qualities?

Saint Croix said...

I think it's a common practice to try to hide in a crowd. It's a mini-confession. "I lie a lot, to my friends, every day." But the author doesn't want to say that! So it's rather like a kid telling his mother, "Everybody does it." Do you really think that's going to fly? Go to your room and put some soap in your mouth.

Wince said...

The other day an Althouse commenter linked to a TED Talk by a woman who said the same things almost word for word.

Anybody else notice that?

khesanh0802 said...

I have thought about the lying premise since it was posted. I have been around a long time and I have more faith in my fellow man (of course I live in a rural area). I believe that this article deserves the Bullshit tag.

Ann Althouse said...

There is no bullshit tag.

There's a "civility bullshit" tag. It's only for bullshitting about civility.

Nichevo said...

Ann, you mean hypocrisy?

n.n said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
n.n said...

The girls lie with sugar, spice, and everything not quite so nice. The psycho needs to visit the real world where reconciliation is progressively a lost art, and the pursuit of internally, externally, and mutually consistent positions is selective.

That said, this is still a majority minority issue, and so civilization proceeds, chaotically.

Saint Croix said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Juvenal said...

I am lying