Lie

A lie is a statement from the transmitter ( liar ) knows or suspects that it is untrue, and is uttered with the intent that the recipient or recipients they still believe, or even " the ( non-verbal ) communication of subjective untruth to obtain with the aim of causing or maintaining a false impression in the opposite [sic ]. "

Lies used to gain an advantage, for example in order to conceal an error or a forbidden act, and so to avoid criticism or punishment. Lied is also out of courtesy, out of shame, anxiety, fear, insecurity and distress ( " white lie " ) to thwart the plans of the other person or to protect one's person, any other person or interests (eg privacy, privacy, economic interests ), compulsive / pathological or for fun.

• 3.1 Psychiatric- psychotherapeutic distinctions
• 3.2 Neurobiology pathological liar
• 3.3 behavior during lying

• 4.1 Bible, Christianity and Judaism
• 4.2 Islam
• 4.3 Buddhism

• 5.1 Augustine
• 5.2 Thomas Aquinas
• 5.3 Kant
• 5.4 Nietzsche

General

From a lie is called only where a serious violation is seen against the morals. If a personal understanding of a deliberate false statement are expressed, using colloquial expressions as Geschwindel (verb: cheat ) or fib (verb: fib ), such as in the context of a joke, with emotional overstrain, where a situation only slightly is glossed over ( euphemism ) or when expressed untruth was taken back in again.

The colloquial word vertigo, however, referred to as either a turn more serious act of deception in combination with a common lie ( eg fraud ) or a joke with far-reaching consequences (for example, April Fool, fake ).

The lie is different in that deception can be committed without the means of false statement of deception. For example, one is mistaken if one pretends to sleep in order to eavesdrop on others. If you will be asked and says you 've been sleeping, that's a lie. In advertising, the sales pitch and in the political propaganda often use lies and deceptions.

The lie is dependent on language: Lies can be expressed in any form, can be communicated in the language with, for example, as text in a newspaper or in sign language.

In interpersonal communication are distinguished:

• Social lie
• White lie
• Purpose lie
• Intentional ( antisocial ) lie
• Compulsive, pathological lying (pseudo Logie ).

The social lie is to serve the best interests of the deceived or the harmony of a group. This type of lie is most useful to the peaceful co-existence and achievement motivation.

The deliberate lie or vulgar or criminal lie has its own advantage and for the purpose of taking the considerable disadvantage of fellow approvingly. In the plot ( from the Latin intricare, embarrass ) the disadvantage of others is even the intended target.

Compulsive lying is sometimes referred to in psychiatry as a pseudo Logie. Today, however, one sees no longer independent disease, but a possible symptom of narcissistic personality disorder.

The author Brad Blanton proposes to evaluate behavior such as information retention, embellishment and exaggeration, but also social phenomena such as tact, diplomacy as a form of lying.

Terms of Use

Criminal

A defendant may remain silent forever, but even if he speaks, he should lie, at least insofar as he does not thereby punishable ( Falschverdächtigung ). May be relevant criminal libel as a lie or a statement offense such as perjury or false statement in a witness who always tell the truth. As a special case of deception, a lie also constitute the crime of fraud when it comes to a property damage. However, lies in principle is not punishable; the same goes for writing lies ( except § 348 StGB - false certification in office).

Civil law

In interviews may be a lie, for example, on certain issues. So the Federal Labour Court decided on 19 May 1983 that lies the previous level of salary, no challenge to the employment contract justifies in non-relevant issues in the case judged in court for misrepresentation. Moreover, the existence of a pregnancy may be concealed, unless the workplace is not a health risk for pregnant women, for example, because infectivity. Even a criminal record may be kept secret unless they have been deleted in the Federal Central Register pursuant to § 53 Federal Central Criminal Register Act. Fake certificates but also after years nor does it constitute an Event of Default make After studying the Control Risk Group in Germany around 12 % of applicants false information about her career. Specifically, 30 % cheat on the employment data, 18% of qualifications, 13% of the salary data, 11% of the data for CV, 6% at the information the relationship with the former employer, 4% at the position, and 1% any indication of the leadership responsibilities.

Employers also misinform in candidate interviews. After Hesse / Schrader it applies in job interviews as a good sign when a supposed flaw is addressed as, for example, trade union involvement because employers tend to avoid addressing actual retirement reasons, especially if they are not justiciable. Example of non- justiciable excretion grounds are gender, religion, political affiliation, union or works council commitment etc.

Psychology

Psychiatric- psychotherapeutic distinctions

Psychotherapeutically we distinguish between unconscious and conscious lies. With the problem of false memory is concerned the credibility assessment. As confabulation is called a senseless fantastic interpretation for memory gaps that occur in the context of an exogenous psychosis and typical of Korsakoff's syndrome ( seconds = memory confabulation disorientation ) alcohol abuse are.

After Heinz Kohut we distinguish the unconscious lies such that a result of early childhood neglect are (pseudo Logie ), of lies, the result of a lack of internalization of parental standards have emerged during the oedipal phase. A conscience of insight develops after the general psychoanalytic understanding life history only in the phallic- oedipal phase in about 4 to 6 years of age. The precursor of a conscience of insight is by Schorsch the so-called pre-Oedipal conscience that develops from a fear of punishment and a need for control.

Conscious, deliberate lies often put in psychotherapy a major problem Léon Wurmser (1999) drew attention to the problem of institutional stability of the conscious lie. As examples he cites hospitals, universities, politics and business. He had many patients in whom lying is a habit in psychotherapy then going to a weighty conscience dilemma only questionable and. He himself had hardly ever worked in an institution where lying is not a major instrument of power, administration, and become the refusal to participate it would have been treated as a weakness or even as a betrayal. Usually will not consider that there is no trust in a society is possible, tolerated in the deception and lies that will Yes praised and an abyss of mistrust, a paranoid style open when the extent of falsehood overstepping a certain threshold.

Neurobiology pathological liar

According to a study by the University of Southern California pathological liars have an altered brain structure. They have a larger share of the responsibility for information transmission white matter in the prefrontal cortex than healthy comparison subjects and a lower proportion of gray matter, which is responsible for information processing.

Behavior during lying

There are externally visible, but not unambiguous signs that someone is lying. They are based on unconscious behavioral changes that are caused by stress, and partly differ from person to person. Therefore, even for polygraphs and experienced persons not reliably possible to find out if someone is lying.

The following non-unique actions and features may be signs of a lie:

• Eye movement Avoidance of eye contact with the interlocutor
• Rolling of the eyes
• Frequent blinking
• Eyes closed with the blink longer
• Less frequent eye movements ( gaze )
• Enlarged pupils

• Body language, gestures and facial expressions entangled arms
• Arms and legs are moved less
• Scratching on the face, often on the nose
• Redness of the face
• Licking lips
• Sideways (roll ) with the upper body, when one begins to speak
• Smile, even if it does not fit the situation
• Supination of the palms
• Exaggerated expression ( usually on the face, eg frown )

• Language and voice Content of the text and facial expressions do not match to each other (for example, say "no" and nod )
• Hesitation ( " Well, well, uhhh, so ..." )
• Departure from the usual speech patterns
• Complex blocks can be played back on again to ask the same
• High pitch of voice

Religion

Bible, Christianity and Judaism

In the Bible, the devil as the "father of lies" ( Jn 8:44 EU) is called, because he is said to have uttered to Eve the first lie in human history in the Garden of Eden, which then led to the fall of man. In the Ten Commandments is: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor. " (Ex 20,16 EU), ie the prohibition of judicial perjury, which is widely interpreted in Christianity and Judaism as a general prohibition of lying. Lying words designate Isaiah, a prophet of the Old Testament, as evil tools of villains: " And the tools of the villains are evil: he decides wicked devices to judge the poor with lying words declared even when the needy speaketh right." (Isa. 32.7 ELB ). Biblically displeases God of Israel lie, and he distinguishes between good and evil.

Isaiah warned, " Woe to you who pull the iniquity with cords of falsehood and sin with a cart rope and say, He 'll come speedily and soon his work, that we may see it; it close and meet one of the counsel of the Holy One of Israel, that we get to know him! " (Isaiah 5:18-19 LUT) and " Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter "( Isaiah 5:20 LUT).

King Solomon's Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament warns against false profits earned by lie: "Whoever acquires treasures with mendacious tongue, chasing after the wind, he falls into the snares of death. " (Prov. 21.6 EU). As a property of the righteous the book of Proverbs calls the strong aversion to lie: "The righteous is the lie enemy; but the wicked man is disgraceful and shameful. " (Prov. 13.5 LUT).

It is also noted that in some texts the lie is not in principle rejected. Particularly striking is the triple- handed "endangering ancestress " (Gen 12:10-20 LUT): here secures the lie of the patriarch Abraham and Isaac, the survival of the people of God. In Genesis 27 Jacob LUT erlistet by a series of lies his father's blessing, without which would negatively evaluated; similar gene 38 LUT where the working with the false pretenses Tamar is explicitly presented as "fair". The Bible therefore knows that lies are almost necessary in certain circumstances. ( Further examples in Martin Rosel, " Between the 8th commandment and Abraham lie", in Leonhardt / Rösel, 1-20. )

Islam

In general, lies in Islam is not allowed and is considered to be reprehensible. There are exceptions to reconcile people to each other and narratives between husband and wife, it is also Shiites permitted under certain conditions, to deny their faith, see precisely the item taqiyya.

Buddhism

In Buddhism, the lie is one of the ten bad habits that lead to the maintenance of karma and its negative effects.

Philosophy

Augustine

Augustine was the first philosopher and theologian, who systematically and comprehensively dealt with the issue lie. Augustine goes into his argument from the theory of natural language purpose, according to which the language is intended to communicate the thoughts. In the falsehoods of this natural language purpose is disturbed. Augustine rejects why every lie categorically and makes the self-contradiction of the lie attention: lie, in order to be successful, confidence in the truth of human speech presuppose that they also destroyed. Augustine regarded lying as a sin, they called the death of the soul and emphasizes the long-term damage caused by lies. Not even such lies are permitted, the search for a more serious sin (such as murder) to prevent: Calculating with the possible sin of the other extends the fictional area of ​​responsibility of the individual into the boundless and is therefore inadmissible. There is no greater good than for Augustine the truth and that is why lying is always inadmissible because the truth even takes precedence if by, for example, a human life is threatened. Augustine admits that there are heavier and lighter lies. While lying in matters of faith and lies that want to harm others pose particularly grave sins, it is in the case of livestock and joke lies just to lighter sins. However, the nature of sin remains in every lie. When interpreting the tall tales of the Old Testament (eg, gene 27.1 to 40 LUT LUT Ex 1.19; gene 20.2 to 13 LUT) has Augustine argument on self- contradictions, but because he sees some lies as admissible.

Thomas Aquinas

The thoughts of Thomas Aquinas over falsehood have many similarities to the theory of Augustine. Just as Augustine is also from Thomas in his argument from natural speech purpose and comes to the conclusion that every lie has a sinful nature. Lie decomposing the unity of knower and reality, thus preventing the happiness that is in itself knowledge and exchange of truth. Thomas introduces the concept of truth, which he regarded as a virtue that should be held by other virtues such as wisdom or love in the Lot. Clever concealment and double talk are as slight sins which do not prevent the people from the true goal allowed. When completely inadmissible Thomas considered just as Augustine the deliberate deception in matters of faith, so lies regarding content knowledge concerning the knowledge of God.

Kant

According to Kant, truthfulness is a legal obligation that can withstand its very nature, is no exception (see also The Metaphysics of Morals ). " All legal and practical principles must include strict truth. " ( Immanuel Kant: AA 0008VIII, 430) It follows, however, that there may be an exception in any conceivable application: If there is a prohibition lies, it is true in every case. However, man has a natural tendency to lie: "The Lie [ ... ] is the actual lazy spot in human nature. " ( Immanuel Kant: AA 0008VIII, 422) The prohibition shall lie as truth is a condition of self-commitment and therefore part of the source of law: " [ the Lie ] harm at all times to others, though not another man, but of humanity as a whole, by making the right source useless. " ( Immanuel Kant: AA 0008VIII, 426) Even a lie that no concerned harm immediately or in the concrete situation an advantage, so it is banned because they always harm the human race in general.

In a condensed form, one finds Kant's sharp rejection of any kind of lie also in the essay On a vermeintes right of people love to lie.

Nietzsche

The special position of Nietzsche says: " Who can not lie, do not know what is truth " (Nietzsche: Thus Spoke Zarathustra ). In his essay On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense of 1873 he considered the problem of truthfulness based on a genealogy of language: Since every word of an inaccuracy and therefore an untruth itself, language can not be a foundation of truth. Nietzsche points out that consequently no truth to the use of words in a conventional manner. However, since humans are social beings and their language must therefore follow traditional patterns, there is truth in the moral " obligation to lie according to a fixed convention ". To overcome this condition, to the old, feeble metaphors, those " illusions about which one has forgotten that is what they are, " (Nietzsche, " On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense " ) are destroyed and replaced with his own creative creations be.

Sociology

The Austrian migration sociologist Peter Stiegnitz propagated for the study of behavior lies a new discipline, which he calls Mentiologie.