Lies People Tell
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Society -> subcategory Relationships.
The Lies We Tell Ourselves and Others
Why We Lie
Everyone lies occasionally. We use words to disguise the truth, but often our body language reveals us. This begs the question: why has evolution favored such a seemingly self-defeating strategy? The answer lies in the reasons behind our lies.
Types of Lies
We typically lie for three main reasons, which correspond to three types of lies:
1. The Empathic Lie
An empathic lie is intended to spare someone else's feelings. It's about saving face, but for another person. This type of lie helps prevent loss of social status and shields individuals from judgment and social sanctions. It's rooted in our capacity for empathy?"imagining ourselves in someone else's situation. It also protects our own feelings, as witnessing someone else's distress can be unsettling. On the flip side, relentless honesty can sometimes be a form of cruelty. These lies succeed only when the recipient is willing to accept them and not seek the truth.
2. The Egocentric Lie
Egocentric lies are told to benefit the liar. They can either help achieve personal goals or avoid embarrassment and criticism. These are divided into:
- Goal-Seeking Lies: Useful for achieving personal ambitions.
- Face-Saving Lies: Useful in social contexts to maintain reputation.
3. The Narcissistic Lie
Narcissistic lies are pervasive and complex. The liar often believes these lies, while those around them can see through the façade. It's like a hunchback who remains unaware of his own hump. The effectiveness of these lies often depends on the liar's belief in them.
Confabulations?"elaborate fabrications?"are critical for emotional healing and self-esteem. They blur the lines between reality and fantasy, providing comfort and organizing social interactions.
The Role of Confabulations
Confabulations serve an important function. They bolster an individual's self-esteem and help regulate their sense of self-worth. A confabulation might wrap a small truth with embellishments, like tales of a father's wartime heroism or a mother's youthful beauty.
Even so, people usually retain a sense of where reality ends and fantasy begins. They may not openly admit it, but a confabulator knows that reality differs from their storytelling. Challenging these stories can threaten social bonds, so many people let the stories persist for the sake of harmony.
Narcissism and Confabulation
Narcissists differ from others because their entire identity can be a fabrication, designed to protect their grandiosity. They struggle with distinguishing reality from fantasy and tenaciously believe in their own infallibility and perfection.
Narcissists impose their myths on those around them, expecting compliance. Criticism or alternative viewpoints are met with hostility because, for them, confabulation isn’t just part of life?"it is life.
The credibility of a narcissist's identity depends on the believability of their stories and the acceptance they receive. They invest significant energy into defending their narratives, often becoming self-delusional, argumentative, and inflexible.
The Nature of Narcissistic Lies
Narcissistic lies are not goal-oriented but are a means to maintain a gap between their grandiose self-image and reality. These lies help preserve appearances and extract admiration from others. They are incessant and often unnecessary, serving only to maintain a false self-image.
Why We Let Them Lie
We are socially conditioned to tolerate each other's minor delusions and small lies. With narcissists, we often avoid confronting them despite the implausibility of their claims to avoid confrontation. They make it clear from the start that it's their way or the highway, and any disagreement could lead to conflict.
Narcissists can impose their version of reality on others, sometimes with harmful consequences. By understanding the types of lies and why we tell them, we can better navigate the complex web of truth and deception in social interactions.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Lies People Tell.
You can browse and read all the articles for free. If you want to use them and get PLR and MRR rights, you need to buy the pack. Learn more about this pack of over 100 000 MRR and PLR articles.