The Evolutionary Liar
In our quest for meaning, we are taught to seek out truth. Religion, science, court systems, investigations, fields of study, and other tenets of our society exist on a pursuit of truth. These systems perpetuate a belief that there are two options, truth or deception, seen as good or evil, with the former always the better choice. Truth is seen as higher and more valuable, but this is only a judgement. Lying is a natural element of human evolution. As animals developed empathy, they used the power to deceive others for their benefit and survival. Truth and lies are not a moral matter, but rather an evolutionary tactic of humanity used for survival. Why do humans lie? Evidence points toward evolutionary development. Jean Piaget, in his 1932 theory of moral development, states that “the tendency to tell lies is a natural tendency...spontaneous and universal" (Steffens). Young children commonly lie to their parents, looking to avoid punishment or achieve a favored result. This tactic is not taught, but rather a skill achieved with cognitive development. Young children begin to develop early forms of empathy, understanding the feelings of others. Parents commonly condition their children away from lying. Deceit is a skill gained within empathy as our brain starts to discover more about the world around us. Humans are not the only liars in the animal kingdom. Camouflage has developed over time for a variety of species to prolong their existence by staying undetected from their predators. These animals, however, are not aware and active in their deception. To consciously deceive another animal, empathy is first required. Without the ability to understand the feelings of another, lying is not possible (Steffens). Richard Byrne, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of St. Andrews in the UK, found an example of intentional deceit in observation of apes. In the search for food, a chimp may hide his discovery of food if other chimps are nearby in an effort to keep it all for himself. Sometimes “a competitor chimp will walk past the pretending chimp, then hide behind a tree and peep out to see if the pretending chimp really does have some food” (Steffens). This observation shows an understanding of the deception going on and tactics to counter it. In the simple world of chimps, finding food for survival is the …show more content…
Robert Wright, author of The Moral Animal, states “We are far from the only dishonest species, but we are surely the most dishonest, if only because we do the most talking” (Steffens). Humans have the highest possibility to lie relative to other animals given their use of language. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to lying. The current balance of truth and lies over time has led our society to our current position. Paul Ekman, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, San Francisco, states "I suspect that our ancestral environment was not one in which there were many opportunities to lie and get away with it, and the costs for being caught in a lie might have been severe” (Steffens). Truth is the primary option for humans in the actions of their daily lives. Lying plays a secondary role when it can add benefit. Deception, from an evolutionary perspective, is best used when there is little risk of being caught or the punishments for being caught are
In our quest for meaning, we are taught to seek out truth. Religion, science, court systems, investigations, fields of study, and other tenets of our society exist on a pursuit of truth. These systems perpetuate a belief that there are two options, truth or deception, seen as good or evil, with the former always the better choice. Truth is seen as higher and more valuable, but this is only a judgement. Lying is a natural element of human evolution. As animals developed empathy, they used the power to deceive others for their benefit and survival. Truth and lies are not a moral matter, but rather an evolutionary tactic of humanity used for survival. Why do humans lie? Evidence points toward evolutionary development. Jean Piaget, in his 1932 theory of moral development, states that “the tendency to tell lies is a natural tendency...spontaneous and universal" (Steffens). Young children commonly lie to their parents, looking to avoid punishment or achieve a favored result. This tactic is not taught, but rather a skill achieved with cognitive development. Young children begin to develop early forms of empathy, understanding the feelings of others. Parents commonly condition their children away from lying. Deceit is a skill gained within empathy as our brain starts to discover more about the world around us. Humans are not the only liars in the animal kingdom. Camouflage has developed over time for a variety of species to prolong their existence by staying undetected from their predators. These animals, however, are not aware and active in their deception. To consciously deceive another animal, empathy is first required. Without the ability to understand the feelings of another, lying is not possible (Steffens). Richard Byrne, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of St. Andrews in the UK, found an example of intentional deceit in observation of apes. In the search for food, a chimp may hide his discovery of food if other chimps are nearby in an effort to keep it all for himself. Sometimes “a competitor chimp will walk past the pretending chimp, then hide behind a tree and peep out to see if the pretending chimp really does have some food” (Steffens). This observation shows an understanding of the deception going on and tactics to counter it. In the simple world of chimps, finding food for survival is the …show more content…
Robert Wright, author of The Moral Animal, states “We are far from the only dishonest species, but we are surely the most dishonest, if only because we do the most talking” (Steffens). Humans have the highest possibility to lie relative to other animals given their use of language. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to lying. The current balance of truth and lies over time has led our society to our current position. Paul Ekman, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, San Francisco, states "I suspect that our ancestral environment was not one in which there were many opportunities to lie and get away with it, and the costs for being caught in a lie might have been severe” (Steffens). Truth is the primary option for humans in the actions of their daily lives. Lying plays a secondary role when it can add benefit. Deception, from an evolutionary perspective, is best used when there is little risk of being caught or the punishments for being caught are