Most children are taught the virtue(美德) of honesty from stories. The famous story of Pinocchio teaches the importance of telling the truth. Every time Pinocchio lies, his nose grows longer and longer. Another story is about the boy who "cried wolf." In the end, he loses all his sheep and the trust of his villagers because he tells lies many times. These types of stories show children that "honesty is the best policy(策略)". Ifthis is true, then why do so many people lie? The fact is that people lie for many reasons.
One reason people lie is to minimize(使最小化) a mistake. It is true that everyone does something wrong from time to time. However, some people aren't brave enough to tell others that they have made a mistake because they are afraid they will be blamed(责备). For example, students might lie to their teachers about unfinished homework. They might say that they left the work at home. In fact, they didn't do the work at all. These students don't want to get into trouble or seem irresponsible(无责任感的), so they tell a lie to save face.
Another reason for lying has something to do with self-protection. Parents, particularly(尤其) those with young children, may teach their children to use this 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 tell the stranger that their parents are too busy to come to the phone at that time. In this situation, protective lying can mean greater safety.
People lie for many reasons, both good and bad. Lying to keep the peace or to stay safe can have good results. However, lying to stay out of trouble can cause more trouble in the end. Understanding the reasons behind the action to lie might minimize this habit of lying.
