I have never understood the need people have to lie about unimportant things.

I understand that sometimes people will like to keep from hurting others feelings, like when a boyfriend or girlfriend, wife or husband asks if they are getting fat. Most would rather tell what they think is an innocent lie and say that the other isn't getting fat rather than speak the truth because it might cause hurt feelings or cause an argument to start.

How ever many people lie about their age when no one really cares if that person if a few years older than they are willing to admit. This is one of those areas where I just don't understand why they would lie.

With the growing popularity of internet chat, you would think that people would feel freer to either tell the truth about themselves or just not answer a question about what they would rather the stranger about. I am amazed and how often a string of lies are the choice. Even with enmity people just can't seem to stop lying, in deed many lie even more because it is harder for the one being lied to to even know they are being lied to. The end result is no one believes what is told to them on the net. They just assume they are being lied to.

It has been said that people will believe a lie primarily for one of two reasons; because they want the lie to be true or because they fear it may be true, but I have never found a general rule for why people tell lies. Instead I find a variety of reason give for telling lies.

Some lie to cheat people. Some lie to keep from hurting others or to prevent arguments. Some lie just because they are used to lying.

It seems we learn to lie from early child hood to attempt to stay out of trouble. The lie is rewarded bye us staying out of trouble where as the truth gets into trouble. We see the truth cause people to cry or feel bad. So we learn to lie for so many reasons and so often that it becomes more natural to lie than to tell truths.

I can only hope that over time we will learn to tell more and more truths.