Lies have thousands of faces and many other purposes. Sometimes it represents a huge obstacle, a “bug” to recognize and avoid, or other times a saving and harmless “ace in the hole.” It has happened to all of us to tell some small or big lie, probably to get out of trouble or avoid hurting people we love. Be that as it may, we have all lied at some point and we have learned that it has consequences.
In this Psychology-Online article we want to delve deeper into the topic by seeing together what the different types of liesthe characteristics of each of them and examples of situations in which lies are usually used.
Authentic or shameless lie
Called “faking” by Paul Ekman, American psychologist and pioneer in the study of non-verbal communication. It is one of the types of lies in which what is communicated is totally different from the truth. For example, a husband who tells his wife that he has been playing poker while instead spending the night with his mistress is lying through his teeth; Or a teenager who tells his mother that he has been studying all afternoon when all he has done is play PlayStation.
There is falsification when we try to make something that is not true seem real, such as give false testimony or give a false alibi to someone. Also part of this typology are all the false expressions that we create in an attempt to hide our feelings, such as, for example, false smiles, false stupor, etc.
Exaggeration
What is lying? A well-known one is exaggerations, that is, lies in which facts are exalted or minimized. These are not healthy invented situations, but rather an amplification of what has happened or a trivialization of it. For example, you can show that you are sicker than you really are to have the attention of family members or to hold your partner responsible and keep him by your side.
Sometimes exaggeration is used as tactic to dismantle an accusation. For example, if an employee is accused by the office manager of being too slow, he may sarcastically retort that “it’s true, he doesn’t do anything!”
deceitful lie
Lies come in many forms. Specifically, deceptive lying consists of truthful statements intended to deceive. For example, when former US President Bill Clinton was making a public statement in 1998 about the well-known Lewinsky case, when he said: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.”
The lie was subtle because this phrase played on a linguistic ambiguity. In fact, Clinton stated verbatim not that there had been any sexual outpouring between them, but that the relationship had not been complete. A variant of this type of lie is divert the speech or omit important details.
utilitarian lie
There are many types of liars. In this case, the utilitarian lie is used to control an uncomfortable situation, that is, a lie that is told for purely selfish reasons, to take advantage or to avoid a nuisance either .
Compensatory lie
If you are wondering what types of lies exist, one of them is the compensatory lie. It is noted when the subject tries to create an image around him that does not reflect the real one: rich or prestigious family background, past love experiences, school or sports results, etc. This attitude can be considered normal up to six years of age. Beyond this age it is representative of a situation of pathological discomfort that must be seriously taken into account.
Omission
One of the types of common lies. It may be partial: it is the case in which the truth is told, but not everythingto the true. Often the criticality of information can be delimited in a few details, omitting which the information loses its problematic nature.
In other cases, the omission may be total, that is, one pretends not to know, to have forgotten or to having chosen not to say because they considered the information irrelevant. Maybe it’s the kind of lie where it’s easiest to deny the intention.
Concealment
One of the types of lies in children is found when it comes to hide evidence of a crime. For example, some children who keep bad grades in their backpack for days hoping their parents don’t ask them for it, or some teenagers who hide a fine when it is extremely salty.
False confirmation
Consists in confirm a fact without knowing it in part or completely, perhaps just to endorse what someone we want to favor says. One of the examples of this type of lying would be when we want someone to like us and we tell them what they want to hear, even though deep down we don’t agree.
Denial
Without a doubt, another of the most common types of lies is denial. Occurs when we try to refute true news. We try to make people believe that a true fact is not true because it harms us in some way. For example, in the case of adolescents, they may say that they have not yet taken an exam when their parents ask them, even though they have done so.
Masking
What are the different types of lies? One of them is masking. It corresponds in some way to the compensatory lie, in which they try to pretend what really is not. If you catch someone when he does it, in this article, we will tell you.
The white lie
This is how lies are defined to do good, that is, that They are said to avoid displeasing othersand the venial ones, which are called to justify an forgetfulness, a delay or to answer children when they ask embarrassing questions.
Part of this category are the lies that are told about Santa Claus, the stork, our friend’s horrible dress that we say suits her very well, the immaterial potato omelet cooked by your mother-in-law whom we always congratulate, etc
additive lie
This type of lie attributes to a great person a reputation far superior to that which corresponds to him. in order to pursue some good end or purpose. It refers to situations in which a lie is told and maintained to achieve specific benefits. To find out if someone does it, in this article, we show you.
Detractor or defamatory lies
It’s a type of lie that it takes away from a great character the reputation that belongs to him for fear that it will be used to the detriment of the public. Defamatory lies are used to create a bad image of a person.
Translatory lie
We continue with more types of lies. This specifically occurs when the merit of a good action is transferred from one subject to another, more meritorious, or transfers the misfortune of a bad action from the true author to another, less meritorious one. For example, when a person knows that he has made a mistake and blames someone else. Discover .
blatant lie
A lie told with a straight face and a sincere voice and body language, but it is considered a obvious lie to those who hear it. One of the examples of blatant lies would be when someone tells you something and you know it is not true. In this article, you will see.
Big lie
a lie that tries to convince the listener of a great event or act, usually contradicted, so the listener knows it is true. Since the lie is usually “big,” it is difficult for the listener to believe that someone would lie about something so big. That is why he is often deceived, an unconscious mechanism that, however, explains many situations of deception that, to rational observation, seem absurd.
Lantern
The bluff is pretend you have an intention or an ability you don’t have. Bluffing is not actually considered a lie from most people’s point of view. Most of us consider bluffing more as a simulation or a tactic to confuse people. The classic example is poker cheating.
farewell lie
These types of lies are used to ending conversations politely without being completely honest, such as responding to a message by saying, “Sorry, the manager called me.” People use it when they want to leave somewhere and don’t know how to do it without looking bad to others.
Elusion
If we talk about types of lies, avoidance is a way of not revealing the truth or not fully revealing what one believes or what is your opinion. This type of lie is generally used when you want to avoid revealing your opinions on taboo topics such as sex, frequent topics in social debates, etc.
Manufacturing
A lie that is used to complete a story that corresponds in part to the truthThat is, to intensify the effect of the story itself, invented parts are made. Fabrication lies are very useful for embellishing stories to make them more impressive.
honest lie
a lie that imprecisely describes the story and/or events narrated when you are convinced that they are the truth, that is, you are telling a lie but you are convinced that it is the truth.
One of the types of lies that can be told, for example, when misremembering an episode, or when reporting statements or information from others. In the age of social media and fake news it is a widely practiced lie.
pathological lie
Also known as compulsive lying, it is a characteristic feature of the behavior of people who tend to lie continuously, even when it’s not necessary. These types of lies generally afflict very egocentric and narcissistic people, who need to always be in the center of attention.
Pathological lying tends, in its most acute forms, to degenerate into psychological pathology, such as and . If you know someone like this, in this article, you will find information about them.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Types of lieswe recommend that you enter our category.
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