The Ways We Lie

Stephanie Ericsson wrote about ten different ways in which people lie.

White - "assumes that the truth will cause more damage that a simple, harmless untruth"
An example of a white lie could be if your parent asked you if you did your homework and you just said yes because it would be easier that way and avoid getting yelled at.

Omission - "telling most of the truth minus one or two key facts whose absence changes the story completely"
An example of omission would be sending in your broken phone for a free new one because it randomly broke, when really you smashed it in order to receive a newer version.

Deflection - taking an offensive side in an argument and assuming that you have revealed all of the necessary information
An example of deflection could be if somebody accused you of doing something, and you changed the subject matter to make it sound as if they were the lier or more negative person.

Façade - "seducing others into an illusion" as a way to convince or deceive

An example of a façade would be when you go into an office for a job interview in a nice suit and tie, when really about twenty minutes before you were relaxing and wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Delusion - "tendency to see excuses as facts to filter out information that contradicts what we want to believe"

An example of delusion could be filtering out the facts that soldiers really die in the war because you don't want to believe that it is true since it is a touching subject and you are really emotional.

Dismissal - being told something which is untrue to "dismiss feelings, perceptions, and raw facts"

An example of dismissal would be if you told your friend that you were tired.  They might say no your not, because they want you to hang out with them longer, or participate in more activities.

Out and Out - a lie which can be "easily confronted" and the truth behind the lie is usually known

An example of an out and out lie could be if you asked the child you were babysitting who broke the lamp, and they told you that they didn't, when you actually saw them do such actions.

Stereotypes and Clichés - "often shuts down original thinking, giving those hungry for the truth a candy bar of misinformation instead of a balanced meal"

An example of stereotyper and clichés would be telling a really obese person that they looked skinny as a way to make them feel better or boost their self-esteem.

Groupthink - "psychological phenomenon within decision-making groups in which loyalty to the group has become more important than any other value, with the result that dissent and the appraisal of alternatives are suppressed"

An example of groupthink could be telling somebody in your group project group to do all of the work in order to allow free time for the other members.  However, you find out they didn't do anything and the whole group suffers from the lack of material and everyone receives a zero.

Ignoring Plain Facts - "the real issue is forgotten" and the focus becomes something which is more interesting

An example of ignoring plain facts would be when judges must not be racist and ignore the fact of the skin colors of different criminals in the court system.