Why do people tell lies when telling the truth would be just as easy, if not easier?

Fear.

They fear they will lose something they have or not get something they want.

^ Yup.

Yes. Thread over?

I think there’s something else at play too, though: Power. Duping people can feel good. I’ve always had a good poker face, and I delighted in trying to fool my family when I was a kid. I was a very cautious child, and pretty responsible, so I never used my powers for anything evil – but I did pretty much consider April Fools’ a year-round event.

I’m proud to say that I strongly believe am easier to live with by now!

I think power gets more to it.
The truth you might have to explain. A lie is self contained.

An ‘inconvenient/indefensible truth” versus a bold faced, incontrovertible lie.
Who cares as long as you get your way?

I know someone who, I believe, lies because she cannot face the truth about herself and how she acted in the past. Any mention of it and she flies into a rage and accuses the person of lying. She continually brings up the past and I can’t tell if she really believes the stories she tells or if she is trying to convince herself that that is how it was.

What about gratuitous lying, @Hawaii_Jake?
Making up stories that have no foundation in truth/fact? Is it just to make themselves look important? Doesn’t the fact that it’s an obvious lie negate the ‘important’ factor?

When called on a lie, does she double-down and become indignant? Demand an apology? @Jak

No one reason—there are different types of liars, and different types of lying. Two types with which I have personal experience are compulsive liars, who lie with ease and find comfort in it; and and fear-driven liars who do it because they knowingly did something wrong and are afraid of being found out.

@ibstubro She carries on hollering and denying until everyone is exhausted. Never demanded an apology that I can remember. I no longer have her in my life. I’ve dropped a lot of negative influences in the past year and she was a big one.

They think they’ll get in trouble. They think people will judge them if they tell the truth. Lots of reasons. Some people are just compulsive liars and even when they have to know you know they’re lying, they hold fast with their lie.

I was trying to think of an example of the kind of lying I’m faced with. Here’s a shot:

Say you fully stock a pantry randomly with shelf stable goods. Shortly after, you open the pantry and notice that there is a hole second from front in a half dozen places. You say, “What did you take out of the pantry?” Reply, “Nothing.”
WTF? Everyone knows it’s a lie, and there no restrictions on what food was taken. Why lie?

No idea. The person feels guilty that they took whatever was there. Or, they are a compulsive liar. Or they’re just messing with your head.

Flat out and out : “Nothing”, beats: “Nothing. Why?”
Two types of liars.
Each with their own MO.

Because they want to be like everyone else but have no idea how to be. Also if they are honest as to the kind of person they really are they fear rejection.

In their minds they want to be accepted but be honest is not in their blood. Lying and sounding like they have done a million things sounds better than the world they live in now.

My dad told me at a young age to lie to my mom to get out of trouble. I did not know better….But now looking back I probably should not have listened to him. I told him 16 years ago about this. He denies it. Of course he will because he said I would never tell you anything like that. That is wrong.

My niece is starting the trend. I have told her now nobody will like Franny Fibber. As I call it. She said what is that? Someone who tells stories that are not true. And they will all know about you because you tell stories that are not true. Just be you and they will like you. You are the person they want to know. Not a made up story.