and a big one.

Everyone lies on certain occasions.

According to a study done in 2002

by the University of Massachusetts,

60% of adults can’t have a 10 minute conversation

without lying.

But why do we lie?

Let’s explore what we know about lying.

To put it simply, lying is the act of intentionally

saying something that is false.

Generally, lies are either fabrications,

omissions or distortions of the truth.

Surprisingly, humans aren’t the only animal capable of lying.

Actually, some monkeys have been observed lying.

For example, Koko the gorilla who learned the sign language

once lied to the researchers by blaming a kitten

for the destruction of a sink in her cage.

From an evolutionary perspective,

lying allows individuals to increase their chances of survival.

Cavemen probably learned quickly

that lying was particularly useful.

For example, to avoid being killed by their fellow caveman

from whom they had stolen food.

Pathological lying is a condition where individuals

compulsively lie for no good reason.

As these people lie more and more,

they begin to unconsciously consider their lies as the truth.

Also, it appears that lying is a source of comfort for them,

this is why they continue lying even though they know it’s bad.

But how can we detect a lie?

It’s possible to notice when somebody is lying

but to do so, you need to closely analyze

body gestures and language patterns.

When telling a lie people tend to have odd tics

(such as shaking their head)

and make MORE eye contact

to try to convince others that they are telling the truth.

Also, when telling their story,

liars tend to distance themselves from the situation

and to use simple descriptions, but with formal language

and complex sentences full of unnecessary details.

Many machines like the polygraph can detect lies

by detecting sudden physiological changes

when somebody tells a lie

(for instance changes in blood pressure, pulse or respiration).

However, these machines aren’t 100% reliable

and can sometimes be fooled by people.

So, lying is a skill that humans have naturally developed

to ensure their survival.

However, now that human society has greatly evolved,

lying is considered to be bad,

as we depend on honestly to build strong relationships.

And by the way, a half truth is a whole lie.

That’s an important thing to ''real lies''.