The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson explains how everyone lies in this world, one way or another. Ericsson expresses the many ways people lie and why they do so. She educates her audience by describing the different types of lies told daily by sharing personal stories, asking rhetorical questions and creates hypothetical situations to support her statements. She begins with the white lie, which is a harmless lie instead of the truth, if the truth was bad news. Then she continues to explain a façade, changing your personality making people believe something you are not.
Stephanie Ericsson begins her explorative essay, “The Ways We Lie,” with a personal anecdote of all the lies she fabricated in one day. She told her bank that a deposit was in the mail when it was not, told a client that the traffic had been bad when she was late for other reasons, told her partner that her day was fine when it was really exhausting, and told her friend she was too busy for lunch when she just was not hungry, all in the course of a day. She shifts from talking about herself to talking about everyone, claiming that all people lie, exaggerate, minimize, keep secrets, and tell other lies. But, like herself, most still consider themselves honest people. She describes a week in which she tried to never tell a lie; it was debilitating, she claims.
Throughout life, we sometimes don't take the time to think about what comes out of our mouth. We feel the need to tell a falsehood to make ourselves look better or feel better. After all, we don't want to accept the harsh truth of reality that is lives are not perfect. Sometimes we even forget why we're even lying at all. However, we are not alone as human begins it's in our nature to lie.
Stephanie Ericsson justifies the habits of lying in “The Ways We Lie” using firsthand experiences and solid metaphors. Essentially, Take into consideration before you lie, because it could be at someone else's
Ericsson cites several examples of different types of lies, such as “the little white lie”, “Group-Thinking”, and “Dismissal”. Through these examples, the author illustrates the different motives behind why people lie and the effects that it has on individuals and society. The author claims that society’s acceptance of lying has led to a lack of trust in personal relationships, institutions and even the government. Ericsson also argues that lying is not only a moral issue, but it is also a psychological issue as it can lead to guilt and fear of being caught. The author believes that the use of lies creates an environment where individuals are not able to rely on the truth, and it creates a culture of
This lying and deception is happening in the world people live in today. For example when the American government lied to their citizens about their place in the Vietnam war, they were told that the war was going well in their favor and how they will be victorious even though they were not. Once the real reports were leaked, people were outraged because they were lied to and misled, they supported a cause which was morally wrong. This could happens on a smaller scale too, you may have lied to a friend or family member about something and once they had found out what had happened and how you lied to them, it may be hard to tell them your
When people lie, they start to feel anxious and just steadily worry about it. Lying does that to people because their going against what is right. Being truthful more often could help both someone’s mental and physical health. People may can keep a lie from someone for a little while, but it will soon come out, no matter what. It is mainly used to cover up our mistakes.
Throughout adolescence we are taught that lying is not good, not even a little white lie. But what if this is not true? What if we can benefit from these lies? “A lie told often enough becomes the truth” (Lenin Brainyquote). We see white lies in our everyday lives, but some people use it for the benefit of themselves, rather than others who lie to benefit the people they care about.
Lies are mentioned for bountiful reasons; lies can be invaluable to others or used for a greedy, egoistical reason. No matter the motive, lies are frequently told everyday. Even in the concentration camps of World War II, there were no exceptions. In the novel Night, Elie Wiesel is caught naturally lying to mislead his relative, Stein even though Wiesel has a chance to tell the truth, he decides against it. Even though he lied, I believe that Wiesel's lie was morally right.
Lying diminishes trust between human beings. If people generally did not tell the truth, life would become very difficult, as nobody could be trusted and nothing a person heard or read could be trusted Everyone would have to find everything out for himself. Lying is bad because it treats those who are lied to as a means to achieve the liar’s purpose, rather than as a valuable end in themselves. Lies are bad for a person's health also, It can cause a person's brain to get used to lying about things and to get in a habit that is not one that a person needs to get
This quote says that lying happens frequently; no one can resist it. It also says lying is deadly, which is also shown in the Bible within the story of Adam and Eve, when the serpent lies to Eve, convincing her to consume the sacred fruit. In modern society, lying is a common practice. A person may lie protect themselves, or to gain something wanted. This may be due to religious diversity or the decay of respect in society.
Have you ever felt bad or good about a lie you told your friends or family members? Well in the article “It 's the truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying”, the author NBC News mentions that Americans say that lying is ok but It has to be a white lie. The topic sentence here is that It 's ok to lie, but It could only be a minor lie.
In the Ted Talk “How to Spot a Liar” By Pamela Meyer, She spoke about the tells of a liar and why people lie. Meyers had two truths, Truth #1 lying is a cooperative act. The lie has no power until the receiver believes the lie. Everyone who has been lied to has agreed to be lied too, for example when a lady asks her husband if she looks fat in a certain clothing item. Both he
On the one hand, I think lying is not always the answer; I personally avoid telling a lie because if you are going to lie you have to be carefully thinking about the consequences that those bring. I know that big lies can be a problem. For example, hiding your relationship with someone saying that you are single when you are not. That would bring so many consequences for yourself and for others too. That is why it is better to not tell big lies because that would affect you and other people negatively.
Some parents may lie to their children because they look up to them, and they see it as disappointing their children if they know the truth (Bronson, 2008). With lying, they are not exposed to losing the trust of their children, and they see this as an easy route since
