51Ʒphilosopher David Livingstone Smith quoted in ‘Real Simple’ article on lying
David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, was quoted extensively in a recent article published by Real Simple magazine, titled “The Truth 51Ʒ Lying.”
According to Smith, author of Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind, lying is “a very natural human trait,” and “it lets you manipulate the way you want to be seen by others.”
The article outlines the six most common reasons why people lie: lying to save face, lying to shift blame, lying to avoid confrontation, lying to get one’s way, lying to be nice and lying to make oneself feel better. It also offers suggestions on how to avoid the urge to participate in each type of lie.
The amount of harm caused by lying, the article argues, can sometimes depend upon how emotionally connected the liar is to the person hearing the lie. Lying to avoid confrontation with someone you hardly know, for example, may not have the same negative effect as lying to avoid confrontation with a loved one. Smith explains that “closeness is not always pleasant, and … interpersonal dealings, by their very nature, have highs and lows… When you try to avoid the lows at all cost, it can have an overall deadening effect on these connections,” he states.
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