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BIDDEFORD, Maine

David Livingstone Smith quoted in CBC article on why lying is healthy for children

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, was quoted in a January 23, 2016 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) news article about lying.

β€œWhy lying is a sign of healthy behavior for children” discusses research suggesting that kids who are good lairs are more apt to be socially successful later in life. The article explains that the ability to tell a lie is an important developmental step for children, as lying is a social necessity in some cases (such as when one tells white lies to protect another person’s feelings).

Smith, author of Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind, agrees and goes one step further to suggest that lying is not just beneficial; it is necessary to our survival as human beings. β€œWe have a collective investment in dishonesty,” he says. β€œLying oils the wheels of social interaction. A measure of dishonesty isn’t optional. It’s necessary.”

David Livingstone Smith
David Livingstone Smith

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