Lying

Rhetorical Strategies used in Lying

Honest self-disclosure is an important factor that strengthens interpersonal relationships, since this is a manifestation of one's trust and sincerity to the individual. However, there are sometimes situations or information about one's self that cannot be easily disclosed, for reasons that every individual can have: perhaps disclosure of personal information may threaten or weaken the relationship, or simply, the individual is not yet ready to let his/her partner know about particular information about his/her life.

One alternative to self-disclosure is lying. Defined as the "deliberate attempt to hide or misrepresent the truth," lying is considered unethical since it is an act of disinformation, a breach of one's trust and belief to the individual (Adler, 1998:332). There are many reasons for lying. People may lie in order to avoid tension or conflict, to save face from embarrassment or shame, to guide social interaction among other...
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