According to research conducted in 2020 by the University of Twente in the Netherlands, lying can have a significant impact on our self-esteem. The study, which was published last December by the British Psychological Society, investigated the effects of dishonesty on self-perception in various contexts. Researchers found that the act of lying leads to a notable drop in individuals’ self-esteem, as measured by the well-known Rosenberg test.
This finding is consistent with previous research that has linked lying with negative mental health effects. A study conducted by the Human Deception Laboratory at Texas Woman’s University in the USA found that habitual lying is associated with increased anxiety due to the cognitive load involved in maintaining falsehoods.
A meta-analysis by researchers from Harvard and Berkeley universities showed that lying leads to physiological stress responses, including increased heart rate and the release of cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone. In contrast, honesty tends to generate higher levels of oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of well-being and relaxation.
Furthermore, research led by Anita Kelly from the University of Notre Dame demonstrated that refraining from lying for a period of time resulted in decreased negative emotions, such as tension and melancholy, compared to individuals who continued lying.
While habitual lying has been linked to increased anxiety and stress, some individuals may become desensitized to the fear of being caught. The director of the Honesty Project at Wake Forest University, Christian Miller, suggests that habitual liars experience reputational damage and an ongoing fear of being discovered.
The consequences of lying can be particularly complex, with some individuals justifying their dishonesty to themselves as a form of self-protection. Furthermore, there are those who are immune to the emotional damage of lying, such as those with psychopathic traits, who may lie habitually without experiencing distress or remorse.
In some cases, lying and guilt can become intertwined, leading individuals to engage in a cycle of dishonesty and discomfort. People with emotional wounds from abandonment experiences, for example, may be more likely to lie in an attempt to avoid further abandonment, thereby exacerbating the guilt they feel.
The research suggests that the psychological and emotional effects of lying can have far-reaching consequences on an individual’s overall well-being. However, the complexity of human behavior in relation to honesty and dishonesty underscores the need for further exploration of this topic.