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Don't trust everything you hear in the bedroom.
By Caithlin Pena — Last updated on Apr 19, 2023
Everyone lies, some more severely than others, but there are a variety of reasons why someone would be dishonest.
Some people hide deep, dark secrets; others don't want to hurt feelings, and some just get a thrill out of it. Some might not know how to open up to people, as it's proved to hurt them in the past.
Whatever the reason, people lie, and the reasons can vary, and it's up to the person being lied to whether it's a forgivable offense or not.
DirecTV asked 2,000 participants to "fess up" about the white lies they've told in their lives and to rank the severity of the lie on a scale of one to five. Interestingly, the top four lies are all related to sex.
Here are the 4 most common lies people tell before sex, according to a scary study:
1. "I'm on birth control"
This was ranked at 4.52 on the 5-point scale, the most severe of all the lies told. People probably shouldn't lie about this, though, unless they're waiting for an unwanted pregnancy to happen.
2. "I'm not just looking for sex"
Ranking at 3.56, it's not as severe as the first, according to the participants. But it can definitely result in some major heartbreak if they're not careful.
3. "I've slept with X amount of people"
We're surprised this isn't higher up on the scale, at 3.46. The risk of STDs alone should be enough to make this a growing concern!
4. "You're the first person I've ever done this with"
At a 3.23 on the scale, this may be one of those lies you tell in order to spare someone's feelings. Or to make them feel special and boost their confidence. Whichever the reason, its ranking says that you probably shouldn't lie about your first time.
Infograph: DirecTV
The survey also found that people lie to co-workers the most, followed by family and friends. That makes the most sense, if you're texting me on your off day to come in for you, then I'm gonna make up some excuse as to why I can't come in.
And, I can't even tell you the number of times I've lied to my friends about how great the guy they're seeing is.
The good news? Only 10.78 percent of the participants said they lie to their significant others, and only 8.71 percent lie to their parents. I've definitely told my boyfriend I liked a shirt his mom bought for him one time. There's no harm in that one.
As for who lies the most, couples can calm down — the survey found that single people lie the most.
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Caithlin Pena is an editor and former contributor for YourTango. Her work has been featured on Thought Catalog, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Psych Central, and BRIDES.