Affirming information that you know to be false affects your self-esteem.
- In the study, 41.6% of participants lied for self-focused dilemmas and 45.5% for other-focused dilemmas.
- Lying lowered self-esteem and led to more negative emotions.
- “It is not advisable to lie regularly if you want to feel good about yourself.”
“Deceiving others by disguising the truth is generally considered immoral. Yet most people lie on a daily basis. If a lie is detected, those targeted tend to react negatively and are less satisfied with their interaction. (…) Lying puts also a blow to morale, even if it goes undetected. Yet relatively little is known about the psychological effects of lying.” said scientists from the University of Twente (Netherlands).
Volunteers were asked to read dilemmas focused on themselves and others
In one study, they looked at how lying affects self-esteem. According to the researchers, this aspect is important because it allows us to know if liars feel a disadvantage in lying, which could affect their behavior. For the purposes of the work, published in the journal British Journal of Social Psychologythey reviewed three cross-sectional studies and one longitudinal cohort study, which involved 783 people.
The first part of the analysis focused on an online experiment in which participants were asked to read different dilemmas focused on themselves (e.g., lying about one’s skills in a job interview) and others. (e.g. lying about liking the new dress a friend bought). Volunteers were asked whether they lied or told the truth the last time they found themselves in a similar situation. In addition, volunteers’ self-esteem and four negative emotions (nervousness, regret, embarrassment and unhappiness) were determined using questionnaires.
Lying makes you feel bad and lowers your self-esteem
The results revealed that for self-focused dilemmas, 41.6% of adults lied. For other-focused dilemmas, 45.5% had lied. According to the results, lying was linked to lower self-esteem and negative emotions, regardless of the type of lie. The authors found that the lie led to lower self-esteem on the day it was told.
“While it may seem easy, in a delicate situation, to tell a friend that her new dress looks great, it is not advisable to lie regularly if you want to feel good about yourself. The truth can do hurt, but it is sometimes the best option for one’s long-term psychological well-being”, can we read in the American magazine Psychology Today.
