Is Honesty Playing a Role in That Nagging Cold?

Is Honesty Playing a Role in That Nagging Cold?
One study found that being honest had an immediate impact on people's health. Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock
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Let’s be honest here—we all lie a little bit. Just a little. For example, are you that tall, or are those heels? Do you really not have time to see your friend, or do you just not prioritize it? Did you really walk uphill both ways to school?

Research published in the Journal of Basic and Applied Psychology in 2012 indicates that when Americans are talking to each other, 60 percent tell at least one lie in a 10-minute conversation. It may not seem like a big deal. Extra detail here for effect, a simple excuse that doesn’t harm anybody, or a way to avoid hurting somebody’s feelings are all ways people lie to each other—often thinking it’s for the greater good.
Mohan Garikiparithi
Mohan Garikiparithi
Author
Mohan Garikiparithi, MD, practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before shifting his focus to health communications. During his practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in India. During a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed an interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine.
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