Why Do We Lie Today?

Every day the question to lie or not to lie crosses the minds of the current generation. Millenials live in a world that is very different than any other generation has experienced. People today have access to a massive amount of technology and information. There is also a big push to get ahead in the job force by any means possible. People today have learned about past generations experiences and therefore, have learned certain behaviors and what works. For these reasons and more, the world today is less honest than ever before. Today’s generation has access to more technology than in the past. This can be a positive or a negative thing. Technology has its benefits; however, this much technology has caused a disconnection between people.

In his book, Beyond Honesty Keyes writes about a study conducted by Bella Dupaulo where subjects kept track of how many lies they told per week. The most common lie is the answer of “Fine” to “How are you.” Therefore, “Depaulo excused subjects from recording it in records they kept of every lie they told in a week’s time” (Keyes). I believe this shows how accepting todays culture has become of lying. People today lie so much, about how they actually feel when asked that it was not included in a list of lies. Even if the lies we tell are not very big lies, they are still lies. Another way people lie is on their resumes. Because job markets today are so competitive, people believe they need to fabricate details about themselves in order to get a job. The sad thing is, that is works a lot of the time; so, people continue to lie about themselves in professional settings to impress others. In addition, I think because society is more accepting of lying today, we tell more white lies; therefore, we are less honest

However, I do tell white lies, or I tell lies to people I am never going to see again. The main lie that I tell others though is when I am asked if I have seen a certain movie or heard a certain song. A lot of the time I have not heard or seen it, but for some odd reason I usually lie and say that I have. I usually only tell lies if they will improve a situation or spare someone’s feeling and it wont cause drama in the future. I also tell lies by omission sometimes. I rationalize my lies in my head and tell myself that I lie because it will make the situation better. I think people in today’s society lie because it is just how the world culture has evolved, especially in America. People have learned from prominent figures in history that lying is a behavior that can work well if needed. For example, the president lies to the nation if it is in their best interest. When people in the media lie, it gives people the idea that lying is okay and that they should lie