The concept of lying can be used to define deceit
People are influenced by this behavior to make up stories in a variety of situations. Most of the time, individuals tell lies to advance important interests. Despite this, those who depend on lying develop a habit that they are unable to break. For instance, after participating in prohibited activities, kids frequently lie to their parents. Given the intricacy of lying, it's crucial to comprehend its causes and consequences. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend how falsehoods affect society causally. Specifically, lying develops out of fear or a wish to manipulate other people. People tell lies to avoid trouble and also to access things they would miss if they told the truth.
Causative Factors
Fear
Human beings tend to lie due to the fear of their actions' consequences. For example, the modern society relies on legal frameworks that encompass severe punishments for wrongdoers. For instance, a thief may lie that they did not engage in theft for fear of being taken to jail. In the family setup, children tell lies to avoid being punished by their parents. Telling the truth in some instances can subject an individual in trouble. The fear of facing the outcomes of wrong activities is a major reason why lies are common today. The idea of covering up issues is embraced by people who fear the consequences of their actions, hence opting to tell lies (Sudbrink 62). Based on the above issues, one effect of lying is that it enables people to be unaccountable for their actions. Lying is considered to be an unethical practice that lacks morality.
Manipulation
Lies also stem from the desire to manipulate others to engage in activities that favor the liar. This concept is also applicable when a liar seeks to influence other people not to carry out activities or decisions that are likely to harm them. Most common lies in the world today revolve around issues such as power, money, sex, status, and love. Liars use the manipulation concept to gain favors since they cannot get them if they employ truthfulness. For example, most married men lie that they are bachelors in pursuit of extramarital affairs. Unmarried women on the receiving end up giving in after learning that they share the same status with the men involved. The chances of missing a sexual encounter are high for a married man who tells the truth regarding his marital status. On a different perspective, liars manipulate their friends to get money from them. Some people can feign illnesses just to get financial assistance from their friends or relatives. The main idea is giving reasons that seem credible, while the reason for borrowing money is quite different (Lupoli et al. 1029). A vast majority of liars tells love-related lies to benefit from their potential partners. To be precise, numerous lies revolve around love compared to other issues. The phrase I love you is used to stir up the other person's emotions for them to be easily manipulated. For example, men who wrong their wives frequently lie that they cannot betray them because of love. Lies make it easy for people to benefit from their manipulations, thereby causing more suffering to the victims. One negative effect of being untruthful is that if lies are detected, trust gets lost between both parties. In as much as people value telling lies, they ought to consider the consequences of their lies if detected.
Counterargument
Habit
Due to the complexity of lying, counterarguments have been raised on the causal aspects. Apart from the fear and manipulation aspects, it is believed that lying is a habit that people embrace. Proponents of this factor believe that some people tell lies even when they are not in fear. Most liars are used to the habit of being untruthful to the point of embracing lies in all situations. The habit of lying is compared to an addiction that liars cannot avoid. Thus, seasoned liars adopt an untruthful life simply because they are used to benefitting from lies (Vrij 32). The habitual aspect creates pathological liars who tell lies, regardless of the situation at hand. This aspect enables pathological liars to bend the truth regarding some issues because they find comfort in doing so. Thus, lying becomes a routine that cannot be evaded. Thus, there exist people who tell lies even when they are not likely to face danger. Compulsive lying causes emotional and psychological harm to those on the receiving end. Based on the above insights, it is evident that adopting the lying habit can force one to become a seasoned liar in any situation.
Conclusion
Lying is the idea of being untruthful to either evade negative effects of one's actions or to manipulate others. The aspect of fear influences many people to lie about their actions to escape the consequences involved. Lies are also utilized to manipulate other people. Proponents of these ideas describe lying as a habitual practice. Most people indulge themselves into lying as a common practice that ends up making them pathological liars. Regardless of the causative factors, lying is portrayed as a negative practice which affects those being lied to.
Works Cited
Lupoli, Matthew J. et al. "Lying Because We Care: Compassion Increases Prosocial Lying." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, vol. 146, no. 7, 2017, pp. 1026-1042.
Sudbrink, Laurie. Leading with Grit: Inspiring Action and Accountability with Generosity, Respect, Integrity, and Truth. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, 2015. Print.
Vrij, Aldert. Detecting Lies and Deceit: Pitfalls and Opportunities. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2008. Print.
