Some researchers estimate that the average person tells around 1-2 lies per day. However, other studies have found much higher numbers - some suggest that people tell closer to 10-15 lies per day on average.
University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert Feldman has studied lying for more than a decade, and his research has reached some startling conclusions. Most shocking is that 60 percent of people lie during a typical 10-minute conversation, and they average two to three lies during that short timeframe.
Research indicates pathological lying can occur because of low self-esteem and a false sense of self. People who lie pathologically may want others to view them positively, making things up to make them look better. Their desire to create a false sense of self could indicate that they are unhappy with themselves.
People lie, and some lie more than others, but most people are mostly honest most of the time. Taken together, studies seem to support the notion that while the average person is entirely honest across a typical day, the majority of people (95 percent) cannot go an entire week without telling at least one falsehood.
Some researchers estimate that the average person tells around 1-2 lies per day. However, other studies have found much higher numbers - some suggest that people tell closer to 10-15 lies per day on average.
On a daily occurrence, there are 12% of people 18 and older lie sometimes or quite often. On occasion, 80% of women tell half-truths. On CVs and resumes, 31% of people lie.
It's OK to provide less-than-honest reassurance.
White lies are appropriate, Schweitzer said, when someone is seeking reassurance more than a statement of fact, such as when someone asks, "Do I look bad in this dress?" or "Did I make a fool out of myself at the party?"
Around age seven or eight, children not only are capable of deliberately deceiving someone, they also can manage to stick to a false story and to look and sound sincere while doing so. Kids this age tend to lie because they don't want to get in trouble and because they don't want to think of themselves as “bad.”
A white lie is a harmless or trivial lie, especially one told in order to be polite or to avoid hurting someone's feelings or stopping them from being upset by the truth. A white lie also is considered a lie to be used for greater good (pro-social behavior).
Being a pathological liar is not in itself a mental health diagnosis. It is not included in the DSM-5, which lists mental health disorders. However, it is an established concept in psychology. Pathological lying is related to disordered thinking patterns and beliefs.
People who lie pathologically often tell lies about things that don't matter, for no apparent reason. They may do it unconsciously and may not even realize they're lying in the moment, although they can often tell afterward.
While honesty is usually the best policy, it is okay to lie to protect yourself or someone else. Such lies can help ensure your safety in the moment until you are in a safer situation.
Lying is OK in two general situations, to protect yourself or someone else from immediate danger — e.g., your friend's abusive spouse asks if you know where your friend is — and to protect someone's feelings. But even then, a strategic half-truth always beats a lie.
Impact of Deception on a Relationship
The more lies they tell, the less you trust them or have faith in their honesty. Diminished compassion and empathy: Lying makes it harder to detect someone's emotions, which in turn, can diminish the compassion and empathy you feel toward that person.
There's no evidence to suggest that people living with ADHD lie more often than those who don't have the condition. But there are many situations in which someone with ADHD might lie as a coping mechanism, to cover up an impulsive behavior that wasn't thought through, or without even realizing it.
Sometimes kids use lying as a way to keep part of their lives separate from their parents. In psychology, we call this individuation, and it's quite normal. At times it may even seem that they make up needless lies about things that seem trivial. It can be baffling to parents.
Children lie for several reasons, such as testing out a new behavior or gaining approval. Children who lack confidence may tell lies to make themselves seem more impressive to their peers. Children with anxiety or depression might lie about how they're feeling so their parents don't worry about them.
Lying is probably one of the biggest red flags of all, because it affects all aspects of a burgeoning relationship. Not only are lies used to control and manipulate, but being around a compulsive liar can stop you from feeling safe and comfortable in a relationship.
And, she adds, “even small ticket lies repeated day after day can harm a relationship.” Basically, if you keep telling your partner lies, whether you think they're harmless or not, they can stop trusting you. “The more lies, the more you crack the foundation and the basis of a relationship,” Durvasula says.
Biblical passages
One of the Ten Commandments is "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"; for this reason, lying is generally considered a sin in Christianity. The story of Naboth in 1 Kings 21 provides an example where false witness leads to an unjust outcome.
For those caught, 70% regretted lying. But despite not feeling bad about themselves for lying, 59% of respondents said they wouldn't do it again. Are we all pathological liars? Or do we need to look at why we feel compelled to make up stories instead of just telling the truth?
According to a recent study funded by British Vodka maker WKD, the average man tells over 109,000 lies in a lifetime while the average woman fibs over 65,000 times. That boils down to about 5 times a day for a guy and 3 times each day for a gal. The vast majority of lies are of the innocent, non-hurtful type.
Liars follow a similar pattern. In one recent study, 60 percent of people reported telling no lies during a typical day, with another 25 percent telling one or two lies per day. So, 85 percent of people appeared to be quite honest. However, a small subset of about 1 percent reportedly told more than 20 lies per day!