Most children are taught the virtue of honesty from fairy tales and stories. The famous story of Pinocchio, who begins life as a puppet, teaches the importance of telling the truth. Every time Pinocchio lies, his nose grows longer and longer. Another story about the boy who "cried wolf" describes how lying led to his losing all of his sheep as well as the trust of his fellow villagers. These types of stories show children that "honesty is the best policy." Still, lies are told all the time and are part of many people's everyday social life. Then why do so many people lie?

While everyone makes a mistake, some people do not have the courage to admit their mistakes because they fear blame. For example, students might lie to their teachers about unfinished homework. They might say that they left the work at home when, in fact, they did not do the work at all. These students do not want to seem irresponsible, so they make up an excuse-a lie-to save face.

Parents, particularly those with small children, may teach their children to use a type of "protective" lie in certain situations. What should children do if a stranger calls while the parents are out? Many parents teach their children to explain that mom and dad are too busy to come to the phone at that time. In this situation, a lie can prevent harm.

Many times people lie to protect the feelings of other people, and there's nothing wrong with that. A good friend shows up with a bad new haircut, you're more likely to say, "It's very cool! It suits you." You might tell a cook you loved the dinner even if you could hardly eat it, or tell a friend you loved the shirt you got as a gift even though you knew you would never wear it.

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