Reading Fill Blank
their children about their past misbehaving, 52% would exaggerate the facts of a story to make it
more interesting, and 51% would consider lying about one's age justifiable. They were however much
less inclined to think lying about being sick to take a day off work or lying on a resume was as
justifiable.
Research from Canada in 2022 suggests one of the most common motivations for lying is actually for
altruistic or pro-social reasons. These are the lies we tell to make others and ourselves happier,
such as telling children that Santa is real pro-social or omitting truths from people that may hurt
them
altruistic.
Another of the most common reasons is out of secrecy or privacy. Sometimes we don't want people to
know certain things about us, and as a consequence we fib to keep them hidden.
Wishing to preserve their image and avoiding negative evaluation is another of the more common
reasons for lying. Some people lie to avoid feeling exposed and the subsequent shame that
accompanies it. Being untruthful about something you deem shameful, or even embellishing your own
accomplishments, can be considered a lie to avoid negative evaluation.
Sometimes people lie to avoid punishment or retaliation, and are afraid the person will be angry or
judgmental or leave them.
Others lie put of compulsion or carelessness. They may not have a genuine reason to lie but are
