Lying Is So Much Easier On The Conscience When You Don't Have To Look At Anyone

from the you-look-fat-in-that-dress dept

Thu, Dec 28th 2006 3:14pm — Karl Bode

A new UK study suggests that technology not only makes lying easier, it allows liars to feel less guilty about doing it. More than four out of five people say they tell "little white lies" at least once a day, most preferring to do so via cell phone, text message or e-mail. Older studies proclaimed that people loved to lie over the phone, but weren't so keen on lying via e-mail (partially because people don't want a record of the lie). Obviously the lies being told are the same ones we've been telling for hundreds of years (I'm too sick to come to work, you look fine in that outfit, etc.) -- technology simply acts as an emotional firewall, allowing us to lie without having to look someone in the eye. Some think that's partially why videophones have never taken off, despite videophone technology that employs fake backgrounds to match the lie being told. Perhaps someday we can skip the whole messy affair and just have our sentient robot overlords lie for us.

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19 Comments

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charlie potatoes, 28 Dec 2006 @ 4:38pm

patents
i hold the patent for sentient overlord robots. if you want one to lie for you then you must pay me.
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William, 28 Dec 2006 @ 4:43pm

no tells on the cell
I can't be the only one who can usually tell when people lie to me. Sometime I wont realise it till hours after a conversation but i can usually tell. I just think it's easy to lie convincingly on the phone verses in person.
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sore, 28 Dec 2006 @ 4:44pm

sore
i have herpes. this girl i picked up at the club lied to me and said she was clean. so much for that...
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Dec 2006 @ 5:22pm

#3 - Perhaps there are reasons for waiting until Marriage?

Wow - My parents were right. Go figure.
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Mike, 28 Dec 2006 @ 5:23pm

#3
#3 - Perhaps you should repsect yourself more.

Wow - My parents were right. Go figure.
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My name is Joe, 28 Dec 2006 @ 6:07pm

that's the truth
Everybody lies all the time, even without realizing it. If we didn't lie, we'd probably implode.
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Tin Ear, 28 Dec 2006 @ 6:33pm

I do not!
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:23pm

Re:
#7
LIAR!!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:29pm

^^^^
liar
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Kirk, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:47pm

lies
Everything Harry tells you is a lie. Remember that! Everything Harry tells you is a lie!
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Mudd, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:48pm

statistics
Now listen to me carefully, Norman laddie. I am lying!
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Jeff, 28 Dec 2006 @ 10:23pm

Truth
Its very possible that everything that we believe to be true is in fact a lie..so everyone who has ever told you anything may be lying without realizing it!
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Chronno S. Trigger, 29 Dec 2006 @ 12:53pm

I am lying to you right now -->
and somehow I don't feel that bad.
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Ifan Hung, 9 Apr 2007 @ 4:37am

0h man itz s0 t0talli true
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Ni hao ma?, 2 Oct 2007 @ 12:49pm

Re:
Hi ifan - was ich möchte kannst du dir sicherlich denken...ich möcht bitte mit Agnes sprechen - meine Emai + MSN ist Hou-Hai-Lake@hotmail.de
88 Olli
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oliver niemeyer, 15 Oct 2007 @ 7:26am

Re:
Ifan verstehst du denn nicht - ich werde keine ruhe geben bis ich sie gesprochen habe - klar ....
mach es doch einfach kurz und gib mir ihre email - fertig - hehehe .
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Beifangren, 27 Feb 2008 @ 11:11pm

Re:
hehehehe - why u do not answer Agnes? My new Mobil is :
00491769644038 my new Adress is - Am Kirchberg 3
35415 Hausen

so pls answer me soon !!! We can change a lot of news ....hehehe kisss and miss u 88 Olli
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BEIFANGREN05, 16 Sep 2008 @ 2:57am

Re:
Hi I Fan - i found u ...i think we c us soon - i never will forget !!
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Mark, 27 Dec 2008 @ 4:40pm

I hat people that don't tell people stuff face to face or not at all. This one girl gave me herpes and had no herpes symptoms she never bothered to tell me and I couldn't tell. So mean.
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