5 Common Reasons Why Women Lie, According to Science

4. Women lie out of politeness.

Lie example: “Oh, I love this gift; it’s just what I wanted.”

Research done in focus groups suggests that women are more expected to adhere to norms of politeness than men are. This does not mean that society does not expect men to be polite, but rather that if they break the rules of politeness, it is more likely to be excused, whereas women will be critiqued and blamed for it.

This is why women lie out of politeness, and they are generally the harmless, white lies that all humans are prone to making; they are born out of a need and instinct to avoid rudeness and general societal expectations of women.

The types of white lies you can expect that are born out of politeness include accepting gifts she believes to be useless or she does not like with a smile and a thank you, or conceding to listen to a boring conversation when she is not interested.

It is not that women want to lie in these situations, but rather that they feel like they should be graceful and accept the gift anyway since it is the thought that counts.

This is the area where everyone could learn to accept honest reactions about situations or gifts that are not positive but expressed in a non-offensive way without feeling at fault, while also growing more comfortable expressing such feelings regardless of gender.