The Truth About Lying: How Honest are We Really?
Key takeaways:
- While 96% of people consider themselves honest, 81% admit they occasionally lie.
- 24% fabricate skills to land a job, while 14% have taken credit for others’ work, and 51% fake illness to get time off.
- When it comes to romance, 35% lie on first dates and 44% aren’t entirely honest in their relationships, with 19% hiding their sexual history and 18% pretending to like their in-laws.
- 52% lie to avoid awkward conversations, while 68% believe it’s okay to bend the truth to spare someone’s feelings.
When was the last time you told a lie? And be honest.
Gamblizard surveyed 2000 people on the tales they spin, who they tell them to, and why they do it. Faking happiness to hide our emotions, exaggerating our abilities to get ahead at work, and pretending we have somewhere to be to avoid conversations we would rather not have – the results show that most of us bend reality more than we care to admit.
Nothing but the truth: Do we lie more than we admit?
Almost everyone (96%) insists they’re honest. No “I was busy with work,” “That was delicious,” or “I’m five minutes away” when they haven’t even left home. The question is: how many of us are actually being truthful?
Truth be told, 81% of us aren’t always perfectly honest. Just 19% insist they never lie. Some 79% admit they lie occasionally, and 2% – in a surprising display of honesty – confess to bending the truth regularly.
Telling a small white lie doesn’t make you dishonest; it makes you human. From “I didn’t see your message” (13%) to “I’m on my way” (10%) and “I’ll watch it later” (9%), we all do it. But the most popular fib? Some 54% of us claim we’re fine when we’re clearly not.
We find it easier to deceive those we don’t know, with 24% admitting they lie to strangers most. However, we aren’t beyond lying to loved ones: 15% bend the truth with their parents most, 15% fib to friends, and 13% pull the wool over their partner’s eyes.
9-to-5 fibs: The common lies we tell on the clock
Who needs expensive degrees and fancy qualifications when a little white lie can do the same job? Telling a tiny fib to get their foot in the door, 24% of people admit to lying about their skills when applying for jobs.
But the lies don’t stop at the offer letter. Once in the office, ambition often trumps honesty, with 14% of people admitting they’ve claimed credit for someone else’s work.
Being honest is hard work – especially when the workload gets too much and our social calendars call. Some 51% admit to pretending to be ill to score a few days off work. Likewise, 24% aren’t opposed to fabricating a family emergency, and 5% have even faked a funeral.
Dating deceptions: Bending the truth for love and romance
They may seem like your perfect match, but there’s a high chance they’re not being entirely honest. Some 35% admit to bending the truth on first dates, with 16% inflating their bank balance, 15% pretending to be over an ex, and 11% lying about what they’re looking for.
From proclaiming their love (8%) to exaggerating their bedroom abilities (9%), and claiming to be famous (2%), 19% of people who use first dates as an opportunity for creative storytelling have a particular ending in mind: getting lucky.
They say healthy relationships are built on trust, openness, and communication. But, for some, lying is their love language. Some 44% admit to telling white lies or withholding information from their partners, with 19% concealing their sexual past, 18% faking fondness for their in-laws, and 13% keeping tight-lipped about their earnings and expenses.
Filters, fibs, and fake profiles: The lies we post online
From smoothing blemishes to slimming curves, 22% of people admit to editing their social media photos, with 7% meticulously tweaking every snap before hitting share. Why? Because we want to look our best, and online we can be whoever we want to be.
Forget filters. For 17%, the internet doesn’t just allow them to mask their insecurities. It’s a platform to become someone else entirely. Some 14% admit to taking on a persona to spy, 6% to argue anonymously, 5% to snap freebies, and 2% to hide their infidelity.
Perhaps that’s why 43% of people believe younger generations are the greatest storytellers. Raised online, they’ve mastered the art of telling tales. With all that anonymity comes opportunity… for deceit and dishonesty.
Nights out, city breaks, and picture-perfect occasions. We share everything on our Stories, but for some, it’s pure fiction. Seventeen percent admit to faking happiness online, while 10% play up their success, and 6% pretend they’re in a relationship.
The facts behind the fiction: What makes us lie?
Apparently, hard work, ambition, and talent aren’t enough – and honesty doesn’t pay. To reach the top, 25% believe you must be willing to tell a lie or two.
The most common reasons we bend the truth? To skip the small talk. Some 52% admit to lying to avoid awkward conversations, swapping candor for comfort.
But not all lies are told for personal gain. Often, we do it for others’ sake, with 68% insisting it’s perfectly fine to lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. From “This meal is delicious” to “Your haircut really suits you”, sometimes bending the truth is the right thing to do. However, for 23%, honesty is always the best policy – even if it’s at someone else’s expense.
From calling in sick and spending the day lazing in bed to exaggerating our achievements in front of a crush, we all indulge in the occasional white lie. And those who insist they always tell the truth? Well, they probably aren’t being entirely honest.
