Lying

Last night I attended a professional seminar about the lies in our society.  They talked about how athletes, actors, and other famous people all lie throughout life.  As the speakers were talking about the types of lies, I was curious, what makes a good lie versus a bad lie in the education world.  As a student I hear teachers consistently say "use citations" or "don't cheat" or some variation of not taking another persons work.  In my opinion this is a bad lie, and it is good to stop it, but what about the little lies that are what students want to hear or what we should say?  As a teacher, where does the lie begin and reality stop in situations where reality is not what should be told?  An example is anything in the personal life, do students need to know this, or do you bend the truth to fit what they can know?
What causes you to lie?  Dr. Julie Kardos and Dr. Naline Lai, talk about lying from the child/teen perspective and what to do about it.  I believe that they have a lot of good ideas behind what motivates lies. I believe the things that motivate children to lie also motivate adults.  The worry of letting someone down or trying to cover up a problem, is something we all do. How do you deal with lying at all ages?  Is there a way to stop it in society?  Also, where did the lies start; are they innate or learned?