Is Lying Always Bad?

Do you pride yourself on being an honest person or do you tell a lot of lies? Think of it for a minute. When someone asks how you are, do you say "fine" even when you're down; when a friend of yours has the haircut from hell do you reassure her "it looks cool"; and if the subject of dieting comes up do you lie about your weight? Research shows that the average person tells one or two lies daily. In some situations the right lie can help us achieve a higher goal, make someone feel good or avert unnecessary pain.

Women often lie about their age, weight and aspects of their looks while men exaggerate how much they earn, what their job entails and also tell big whoppers about wanting to settle down, get married and have children. That doesn't mean you should never believe another word a man says, but it doesn't hurt to take those sweet nothings with a a grain of salt.

White Lies Promote Peace
White lies are a necessary part of everyday life and that's the truth! Studies show that the majority of lies we tell are for the benefit of other people. What kind of lies falls into this category? Stuff like telling your neighbour her cheese cake was great when in fact it was not good at all.

White lies can be useful to get you out of a fix, but they are also great for protecting the feelings of others. Though it's rarely a good idea to force a friend to have a reality check, you can put a spin on answers to questions so they are not a full lie. For example, if your friend asks you, "Does this dress look okay on me?" and you think it's totally a disaster, a good response is to tell a white lie which is qualified by something true. So you might say, "That dress looks fine, but I think your black dress suits your figure best". In sparing someone's feelings it's important we don't try to deny them information they've a right to know. Wouldn't you expect the same from your friend?