When children are young it is natural for them to tell the truth; lying simply does not occur to them. Lying is a learned behavior that happens consciously or unconsciously when children discover they are not believed; or they are blamed or punished when they tell the truth. Under these circumstances, lying occurs in an attempt to be believed or to avoid being blamed or punished; the child fearfully lies by telling the parent what the child knows the parent wants to hear. As we grow into adults small lies are used to avoid social conflict or make life easier; the most common social lie is, no
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