10 Lies That Even Honest People Tell
Thomas Jefferson once said, "honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." But the second chapter in that book might be be: "except for these little white lies." (See also: How to Tell If Someone Is Lying)
Being honest about the things that really matter is paramount. But when it comes to the smaller things in life, honest people can still call themselves honest despite the tiny untruths they tell. Whether it's lies of omission, or lies of deception, here are 10 lies that even the most honest people tell. How many of them do you agree with?
1. Actually, I'm Busy That Night
Doing what, you have no idea. But you know you don't want to go to that shindig that someone from work is organizing. Whether you're busy washing your hair, organizing your sock drawer, or binge watching Law & Order, you're not really busy. But you are. Kind of. Hey, we all do it.
2. I Had No Idea How Fast I Was Going, Officer
You did though, didn't you? When you're pulled over for speeding, you're going to be asked one of two pretty standard questions. One is "do you know why I pulled you over today?" and the other is "do you have any idea how fast you were going?" Even honest people will say "no" to that one, because the alternative is to say "yes, I had my foot down and knew I was breaking the law but didn't think I'd get caught," or something like that.
3. Lies About Age, Weight, and Even Height
They say you should never ask a woman her age. It's considered rude, although asking a man his age doesn't seem to be breaking any rules of etiquette. But to be frank, it doesn't really matter. Most women are going to fudge the age and weight question at some point, even if it's only by a few pounds or a couple of years. There's no harm in it either. Men also seem to be sensitive to the issue of weight, but even more so when it comes to their height. I say I'm 6 feet, and I'm very honest. I'm actually 5 feet 11 and ¾ inches Hey, my math teacher taught me to round up.
4. The Number of Sexual Partners
There seems to be two schools of thought on this, separated by gender. Men will generally claim to have had more partners than they really have, because society expects it. It's considered manly, apparently (this is not my opinion by the way). Women will also lie, but because society seems to be stuck in the middle ages, they will claim to have had fewer partners. At the end of the day, as long as you're honest about your sexual health with your partner, does it matter how many people you've done the deed with?
5. "Weaknesses" During Job Interviews
It's not only expected to tell white lies here, it would probably shock the interviewer if you told the complete truth. "Yes, I do have one weakness… I'm filthy. You should see my house; it's a wreck! I usually just throw all my crap into the desk drawers at the end of the day, even leftover food." Honesty here will not be your friend. At the same time, don't do the usual "I think I'm just a workaholic" routine. That's even worse.
6. Lies About a Person's Appearance
This is probably the biggest lie on the list that we all tell, and rightly so. Answering "how do I look?" with "well, not good; fat in the face, sweaty, and that shirt looks awful on you" may be honest, but it's not going to make you very popular. You have to tread lightly here. Don't tell someone they look insanely fabulously good if they look like they just got out of bed, but don't go past the point of rudeness.
7. That Totally Makes Sense
Someone just told you something a little confusing. They've told you a few times now, and it's starting to get beyond dull. You can ask them to explain the situation again, or, you can say you get it and move on. There are other reasons to pull this one out of the hat. When your grouchy in-laws start banging on about something very political and divisive, you can either decide to have a verbal jousting match, or say "I get it" and change the subject. Whatever it is, sometimes people just want to admit that something makes sense, rather than deal with the consequences of honesty.
8. Yeah, I Worked Out This Morning
Well, I struggled to crawl out of bed and into the shower, does that count? Even those of us who hit the gym on a regular basis will have times when it's just not worth the effort. Of course, we don't always want to admit that, so we bend the truth a bit. Ah, we're only fooling ourselves anyway, so there's no harm in it.
9. I Love It! It's Just What I Always Wanted!
"I'm going to save this wonderful t-shirt for a really special occasion… like fixing the car." Receiving gifts gets harder once you hit puberty. Suddenly, people care a lot more about the gift they got you. And you don't have the "I'm just a kid" excuse, so you can't say it sucks. Instead, even the most honest person will say a rotten gift is heaven sent. Later on, that gift will find a new home, either in someone else's gift basket, or at the local thrift store.
10. I Had a Great Time
Most of the time, it's true. Sometimes, it's just a lie designed to not hurt someone's feelings. And that is okay, as long as it doesn't become a habit. If you say you had a great time at a gaudy nightclub, and your significant other keeps taking you back there, it's your own fault. But if it's a one-off, there's no harm in admitting you had a killer time, when you actually spent most of the day killing time.
What lie isn't on the list that you, as an honest person, tell often? Or even just occasionally? Tell us below (and no lying!).
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