Why do people lie for?

Why do we lie? Lying allows a person to establish perceived control over a situation by manipulating it. The main reason people lie is low self-esteem. They want to impress, please, and tell someone what they think they want to hear. For example, insecure teenagers often lie to gain social acceptance. Here, parents should emphasize to their children the consequences of lying. Yet, researchers have found time and time again that people lie to their partners. Some of these lies are to make liars look better (self-focused lies) and some are intended to protect the partner (other-focused lies). Fear of punishment is the most common reason for lying, with 27% of people admitting to it. 23% of people lie to protect themselves or others from harm. 20% of people lie to avoid embarrassment or shame. 14% of people lie to gain power or advantage over others.