How Often Do We Lie? - Physics Forums

[Borek]

Well, you know what I mean.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=404209

 

[Vectus]

I never lie. I do, however, always tell the truth.

 

[dgtech]

Lies, like everything else, can also be a good thing, it all depends on the motivation and purpose, if by a lie you mean something that causes damage or has any negative effect - I never lie.

I sometimes bend the truth for constructive purposes, and when I am sure it will not do any harm, to protect people and stuff like that...

It's just like with guns - they don't kill people, people do. A gun can also save a life, and there is a huge difference in shooting an innocent person to get his wallet and shooting a mass murderer who is out for the kill.

Plus, do you really expect lairs to tell the truth about how often they lie ;)

 

[turbo]

I voted for the last choice. If someone habitually lies, the poll results are meaningless.

 

[Lisa!]

I'm a woman and I just lie in the internet!

I voted for the last choice. If someone habitually lies, the poll results are meaningless.

The "I'm a man/woman and I never lie" option is for the 1s who lies habitually, I guess!

 

[rootX]

I am a man, I never lie.

 

[Stratosphere]

I always lie!

 

[waht]

I lie down and take a nap four times a day.

 

[jobyts]

What's the difference between about once a day, about twice a day, about thrice a day? A prefix of "about" makes it an approximation. And one, two, three are 'about' the same. So I vote for the last one.

 

[Borek]

Well, I thought about putting it as "I lie once a day", but then anyone lying 1.1 times a day will be not able to vote.

 

[Chi Meson]

I never lie, except for that one.

Oops, now it's twice.

 

[Chi Meson]

How long has it been since a thread got linked to xkcd?

http://xkcd.com/246/

 

[rewebster]

women think I lie, and other men say I can't be speaking the truth...


but I do lie in wait

 

[BobG]

This is a stupid poll. It let me give an answer that couldn't possibly be true (whether the woman part or the never lie part). Only one person gave an honest answer, anyway.

 

[Moonbear]

I voted that it's a stupid poll. That's a HUGE leap from never lies to lies once a day.

 

[IcedEcliptic]

"Whattaya lookin' at? You're all a bunch of ****ing *****les. You know why? 'Cause you don't have the guts to be what you want to be. You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your ****ing fingers, and say "that's the bad guy." So, what dat make you? Good? You're not good; you just know how to hide. Howda lie. Me, I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth--even when I lie. So say goodnight to the bad guy. Come on; the last time you going to see a bad guy like this, let me tell ya. Come on, make way for the bad guy. There's a bad guy comin' through; you better get outta his way!" (Scarface - Tony Montana)

I voted stupid poll, but fun.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I lie a lot. Including on internet polls.

 

[IcedEcliptic]

I lie a lot. Including on internet polls.

What is your "tell"

 

[GeorginaS]

Okay, seriously, though. Does anyone have any clue how often they lie such they could reasonably answer something like this truly? To average it out and everything?

 

[DaveC426913]

Lies, like everything else, can also be a good thing, it all depends on the motivation and purpose, if by a lie you mean something that causes damage or has any negative effect

The way I heard it expressed is thus:

There are times when it is acceptable to lie, when it is not a bad thing. The time when it is all right to lie to someone is if the person being lied to would thank you afterward.

For example: it is acceptable to lie to keep a secret about a surprise birthday party. The birthday subject might plausibly thank you for not ruining the surprise.

 

[IcedEcliptic]

Lies are only as good or bad as the subject of the deception. Lie about infidelity, and it is a bad lie, but then it is a terrible thing to do to someone. The lie is not the issue, as much as the reason to deceive.

 

[Proton Soup]

i think i lie to myself, mostly

 

[lisab]

The way I heard it expressed is thus:

There are times when it is acceptable to lie, when it is not a bad thing. The time when it is all right to lie to someone is if the person being lied to would thank you afterward.

For example: it is acceptable to lie to keep a secret about a surprise birthday party. The birthday subject might plausibly thank you for not ruining the surprise.

I can understand that, I guess. But still, when I find myself in a situation where I will be "forced" to lie like that, it makes me very uncomfortable, almost a panicky feeling.

I think it's because I'm a stupendously bad liar.

 

[IcedEcliptic]

i think i lie to myself, mostly

Truly, that is the one person you should never lie to.

 

[cronxeh]

Yeah I lie at least 2-3 times a day, and mostly because I don't want to offend other people's feelings. No I am very interested in what you have to say, and no I don't think you are boring the living daylights out of me, and of course your mother is a very wise woman

 

[OmCheeto]

Umm... My last post?

Shhhhh...!

 

[Huckleberry]

Oooh, italics! They make any option more appealing.

 

[Reshma]

I voted "This poll is stupid". I am not a good liar...but I want the person to whom I am lying to know that I am lying

For e.g. if someone (I don't like) asks me for my number, I say I don't have a cell phone.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I generally do not like lying but I do it fairly often to avoid telling people things that they are not going to want to hear, or to avoid giving out information that I do not want to give. For instance my biological father died a few weeks ago and I had no desire to go to his funeral, I told my grandmother that I had to work. Mostly though I am rarely in any position to lie since I rarely am in contact with anyone. My boss tells us to lie to people to make them more compliant but I refuse to do it. I suppose I sort of lie when ever he tells me that I should do things this way and I say "ok".

 

[Math Is Hard]

I lie about 3 times a day, but I'm trying to bring that number up.

By the way, I love what you've done with your hair!

 

[Borek]

I lie about 3 times a day, but I'm trying to bring that number up.

By the way, I love what you've done with your hair!

What was the time you posted? I can't make my mind whether it was third lie of yesterday that you didn't want to waste, of if it was first lie of today, to bring the average up.

 

[theneedtoknow]

I am a man and I lie more than 4 times a day (this not being one of them...OR IS IT?)

 

[BobG]

I lie about 3 times a day, but I'm trying to bring that number up.

By the way, I love what you've done with your hair!

Thanks! I got it cut this way just for you!

 

[drizzle]

I voted I'm a lad, I never lie...

 

[zoobyshoe]

I don't always tell lies, but when I do I say: "I prefer Dos Equis."