It seems that the majority of people lie at some point in their lives, regardless of the type of indentions. Certain cases of deception can lead to severe consequences, such as filing false insurance claims, which may cause a person to be imprisoned. However, other situations appear to produce rather positive outcomes, such as spuriously complimenting one’s appearance to make them feel better when they are sad or insecure. Whether to spare someone’s feelings, commit perjury, or get away with a misdeed, individuals deceit each other in various circumstances.
One can argue that so-called “white lies” provide benefits to all interacting parties. Nonetheless, people mislead others in order to present themselves in a favorable way rather than due to caring for someone. For instance, from my personal experience, I can say that even those who falsely compliment individuals do so to appear as nice or kind individuals. While such behavior does not seem to cause trouble, knowingly transmitting inaccurate information, withholding important details, or telling half-truths is wrong. The following link to a website article illustrates that interpersonal deception is not based on good causes. In particular, the author states that habitual liars are selfish and cowardly and that truthful people choose to admit when they are wrong rather than continue deception. Those who continuously lie cannot handle taking responsibility for their decisions and are wary of how the public may perceive them.