17 Lying becomes easier with time

A new study published in Nature Neuroscience has shown that the more we lie, the easier it is to keep lying and the easier it becomes to tell a bigger lie. The brain adapts to dishonesty, as the title itself claims. Rather than being a logical argument this time, however, these researchers have shown empirical evidence.

The study involved grouping candidates in twos and having one candidate predict the number of pennies in a given jar and then mail that number to their partner. The “lie” was to overestimate the number of pennies when it benefitted the person at the expense of their partner. (The same was untrue of the reverse case where an overestimate would hurt the person and benefit their partner instead.)

Describing the response of the brain when one lies for personal gain, one of the authors of the study, Dr Tali Sharot, explains, “our amygdala produces a negative feeling that limits the extent to which we are prepared to lie. However, this response fades as we continue to lie.” As a result of which our lies can grow unchecked in size.

I have not read the actual paper itself (it’s neuroscience, not physics) so I cannot speak of the specific details, but my only concern with this — and I hope this has been addressed — is that the fading response from the amygdala could be attributed to the fact that the same lie is being told repeatedly. If this is indeed a valid argument, I wonder if the amygdala would respond equally to a string of different lies — which would then necessarily require giving lies a certain weightage to determine which is a small lie and which is not, just so we can determine if a string of small, different lies still desensitises the brain.