Most of us believe we are honest people. However, this is not always the case. Even the most honest people occasionally tell a fib or three.
If you don’t believe you sometimes lie, check out this list of eight white lies we all tell. If you are as honest as you think you are, you’ll admit that you have said all or most of these in your lifetime, if not the past year.
1. I didn’t get that message
Whether it is a Facebook message, an email, or a phone call, you didn’t respond because you never saw it. Really. You would never just ignore a text, after all…
2. Thank you! It’s perfect!
Everyone knows you don’t like Aunt Rhonda’s hand-made sweaters… except Aunt Rhonda. We all tell little white lies to avoid hurting the feelings of people we love, and that’s fine.
3. You look great!
When someone asks how they look, you have two options. You can either tell them they look awful or tell them they look amazing. Regardless of how they look, there is only one right answer here.
4. It’ll take five minutes
Have you ever purposely underestimated how long it will take to do something? Whether it is getting ready for an event or another task, it is human to fib a bit about how long a task will take… but still a white lie.
5. I remember that!
You might have no idea what the other person is talking about, but there’s no use listening to a long story. Pretending that you remember an event keeps you from seeming like you have memory loss while allowing the conversation to move somewhere more interesting.
6. I’m X years old
We have all lied about our age for a variety of reasons. Whether you are 17 trying to get into a club or 37 trying to find a young hottie at an online dating site, there are plenty of good reasons to fudge a little when it comes to your age.
7. I’m sick
Sometimes we all need a day off work or whatever other obligations are weighing too heavily. You can’t call in bored, so calling in sick will have to do.
8. I’m fine
People routinely ask how you are doing, but that doesn’t mean they really want to know. We all respond that we are fine when we aren’t, simply because not every person we greet is entitled to know our business.
Telling a white lie is not a moral failure. We tell these lies not only to benefit ourselves but to make situations go more smoothly, to avoid being rude, to protect other people’s feelings, and a host of other positive reasons. Don’t beat yourself up if you have told these white lies; we all have!
