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BIDDEFORD, Maine

David Smith interviewed for Brazilian newspaper article on lying and deception

David Livingstone Smith
David Livingstone Smith

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, was interviewed for an August 27 article in the Brazilian newspaper Zero Hora.

The article, written in Portuguese, translates to “We are all liars: why untruths are essential to live well in society.” It references Smith’s book Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind.

Smith contends that lying is an essential social skill, and those who avoid lying risk being social outcasts. He also asserts that virtual environments are conducive to lying. Forms of online communication, he explains, allow us to limit the amount of information that others receive. Without the benefit of hearing tone of voice or reading body language, it becomes more difficult to distinguish truth from insincerity.

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