David Smith is quoted in Alfa magazine on why we lie

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, was quoted at length in a column titled "Então, tá falado: Diferentes estudos apontam que ouvimos, por dia, uma média de 200 mentiras. Você sabe identificá-las?" published on Aug. 23 in Alfa magazine (Brazil).

The quotes are from Smith's book Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind, in which he explains that both at work and outside work, lies are sometimes essential to relationships - whether between parents and children, husbands and wives, governments and citizens, employees and employers, professionals and clients. Only someone who is mentally ill tells the truth all the time.

Smith is also the author of Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others and The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War. Smith has discussed Less than Human on NPR's Talk of the Nation and on WCSH6 TV's 207 news magazine. Read more.

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