Despite what everyone else says sometimes it’s okay to tell a lie!
Honesty is very valued in today’s society, and a lot of people swear that they would never tell a lie to others. But is that really true?
Since we were young, we have been told that lying is one of the biggest sins, a wrong that many cannot go back from since it can make you lose friends, work opportunities, family members, and your status in society since people will think you are trustworthy.
However, while certain lies are going to have this effect, there are many other moments when lying is not actually such a big thing.
There are times when you can end up using lies to your benefit or when it can actually save you from unfortunate situations.
This does not mean that you should be going around lying to people, but rather that in certain situations you may be saving yourself by telling a lie.
Think about awkward situations or situations where you need to make yourself look a bit better; these white lies may be what save you, and they may not be hitting anyone.
Another thing to keep in mind is that research has shown that learning how to lie is an important milestone for the development of children. It only gets to be an issue when it is done too frequently.
To see when you should lie and when it could be beneficial to you, make sure you keep on reading!
When do you think it is okay to lie? Do you think full honesty is the way to go? Share your opinions in the comments!
It can make you a better friend
We know this may sound a bit off, but sometimes you may need to lie to your friends, and that will make you a better friend.
While it does sound counterproductive, you should not put aside the idea when it comes to small little white lies.
Think about it like this: if your friend has been on a diet and has plateaued for a while but they do not realize it, it should not be up to you to ruin their image.
You should just let them know the results are being seen and to keep up the good work, instead of telling them they have been stuck or gaining weight since being so direct may cause issues.
In certain cases, choosing to be kind rather than 100% honest may be the best choice.
In the end, if it’s harmless, there’s no need to create a lot of tension, and there are other ways to go around telling them the truth, even if some white lies surround it.
Become more productive
When working on a project, it can be beneficial to tell a few falsehoods occasionally.
There are no two people who work well on the same type of schedule, so when you are involved in a type of project with people who are extremely overbearing about sticking to the plan, you may be inclined to lie a little bit.
And it may just benefit you! If you are getting your part of things done but on a schedule that works for you, then you can tell the little white lie of “yes, I am on schedule”.
If you’re on track with everything but you are working on a different timeline than the one expected, yet the results are all the same, why not give yourself and the other person some peace of mind?
Just make sure you are still productive, and this is something you are lying to help yourself with!
Yes, you can lie in a relationship
Hear us out first before you dismiss this point! No one is advocating that you lie about the big things in a relationship, such as money issues, fidelity, and other big issues that can make or break the trust and relationship with the other person.
There are things in relationships that you should not be lying about, but there are also certain things that you can omit when it comes to detailing. Yes, this is lying by omission, but it does not mean that you are doing it for nefarious reasons.
Being truthful with your partner is important, but when it comes to previous relationships, if there is nothing important to mention, like red flags or habits that have made you grow distant from the other person, there is no reason to detail them to your current partner.
Keeping a bit of mystery or certain things private may be better in the long run, by both keeping your relationship fresh and also not burdening your partner with unnecessary detail about other people.
It can help you face your fears
Sometimes lying to yourself is going to be useful. Not only can you help yourself get over certain fears, but it can also help you shift your mindset from thinking you cannot achieve certain things all the way to being able to go through a lot of tough times.
In certain cases where you are scared to do something because you are worried about whether or not you can get through tough times, it is good to tell yourself everything will be okay.
Things like leaving a bad relationship, signing up for a new opportunity that may be scary, or telling someone a hard truth or something you believe will cause issues are some examples of things you can lie to yourself about.
That way you can give yourself the push to go forward with things and believe that things will work out.
Sometimes it can relieve stress when dealing with younger family members
If you have been a parent or helped with raising kids, you know just how stressful it can be to take care of them and how hard it can be to parent.
This is why some white lies are not going to hurt when it comes to dealing with young family members. Of course, this comes to small things that will not cause any harm.
Things that will keep things peaceful and not cause any stress or worries for the kid in question as well, which can be small things such as telling them certain stores are closed or not having cash on you, are totally okay to lie about.
It can also be a thing of telling them their parents are tired or busy to be able to babysit them and have them go peacefully while the parents take a break.
Small white lies that are going to keep the peace in the home when it comes to small kids are not going to cause any harm.
It can help you love yourself
Sometimes the issue can be about not looking how you have wanted. While a lot of people will dismiss this as a superficial thing, if you end up not liking what you see in the mirror, it can end up giving you self-esteem issues and bringing you down when you least expect this.
Telling yourself a few white lies to protect yourself and bring up your morale is the way to go when you need a boost of confidence.
It is harder done than said, and many of us may not believe them at first. These types of white lies can push away the negative thoughts our minds make up that can end up creating more issues than needed.
Keep in mind everyone’s beautiful in their own way, and you need to push away those negative thoughts, even if it means lying to yourself a bit in the process.
If you want to get more insight into lying, what makes people lie, and how the brain perceives this practice, we have got your back. A leading neuroscientist wrote this book on lying, and it has helped us better understand everything about lying!
While lying can sometimes be justified, it can also be used by people who do not have any regard for the people around them. This is why you should make sure you know when someone is trying to lie to you, and like that, you can avoid a ton of uncomfortable situations. If you want to learn to recognize the signs, check out this article here!
