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

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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  1. identicon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    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...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Dec 2006 @ 5:22pm

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

    Wow - My parents were right. Go figure.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Mike, 28 Dec 2006 @ 5:23pm

    #3

    #3 - Perhaps you should repsect yourself more.

    Wow - My parents were right. Go figure.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Tin Ear, 28 Dec 2006 @ 6:33pm

    I do not!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:23pm

    Re:

    #7
    LIAR!!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:29pm

    ^^^^
    liar

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Kirk, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:47pm

    lies

    Everything Harry tells you is a lie. Remember that! Everything Harry tells you is a lie!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Mudd, 28 Dec 2006 @ 7:48pm

    statistics

    Now listen to me carefully, Norman laddie. I am lying!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    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!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Chronno S. Trigger, 29 Dec 2006 @ 12:53pm

    I am lying to you right now -->

    and somehow I don't feel that bad.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Ifan Hung, 9 Apr 2007 @ 4:37am

    0h man itz s0 t0talli true

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    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

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    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 .

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    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

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    BEIFANGREN05, 16 Sep 2008 @ 2:57am

    Re:

    Hi I Fan - i found u ...i think we c us soon - i never will forget !!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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