Lying 101 The Ways We Lie

The White Lie White lies are often called “harmless” or “trivial.” They are used to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. People tell white lies claiming to be tactful or polite. However, white lies can still do a lot of damage.

Lie of Omission Lies of omission is when someone leaves out important pieces of information on purpose to give a false idea or misconception. These are nasty lies because they’re harder to spot and take less effort from the person who is lying.

Lie of Commission This type of lie is when someone tells a fact that is not true. These lies are meant to be misleading.

Lie of Influence This is when a person will tell a truth to cover up a lie. A person may tell a truth, but it will be un-related to the topic in order to steer the topic away from the person. It also serves to cover up a lie.

Lie of fabrication Fabrication is when someone tells a fact he or she doesn’t know for sure is true. Fabrications are extremely hurtful because they lead to rumors that can damage someone else’s reputation.

Bold-faced Lie This is when someone tells a lie that is an obvious a lie.

Lie of Deception This type of lie is similar to lies of commission and omission. This is when someone tries to create an impression that causes others to be misled, by not telling all the facts, or creating a false impression.

Exaggeration This is lying by adding lies to a truth, adding lies on top of a lie. This type of lying makes the lie bigger by adding truths and untruths to a tale.