Summary Of The Ways We Lie

How Many Times Have You Lied Today?

Introduction

In The Ways We Lie, Stephanie Ericsson expresses the inevitability of lying and the way it is casually incorporated into our everyday lives. She personally brings light to all the forms of lying and some that are often not recognized as a lie. Ericsson questions the reasons and validity behind lies by highlighting the effects and consequences.

Exemplification

Ericsson clearly defines each type of lie with relatable anecdotes. She narrates each scenario of a lie, creating a personal connection. She starts by recounting the lies she has felt necessary within a day. Without these lies her “partner keels over when I tell him about my travails, my client fires me for telling her I didn’t feel like being on time, and my friend takes it personal when I say I’m not hungry.” She establishes the causes and effects of lying revealing the

She admits her struggles with lying as she once attempted to go a week without lying and described it to be “paralyzing.” She also explains how lies can sometimes have positive outcomes such as when the bank calls for her deposit. Without her lie the bank would have charged her $60 in over drafting fees. Ericsson attempts to justify her lies explaining that “there must be some merit to lying.” She makes a personal connection though the lies she tells on a daily basis. Her tone is colloquial yet informational, utilizing terms such as “we.” She explains that “We lie. We all do.” She points out the obvious reasons we lie and the effortless ways we can lie, “we exaggerate, we minimize, we avoid confrontation, we spare people’s feeling, we conveniently forget.” She asks questions, “how much do we tolerate before we become sick and tired of being sick and tired?” to create a conversational tone. In paragraphs 35 through 37, her tone shift from accepting to cynical as she begins to question the limits of lying and their