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David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, was recently interviewed by the Brazilian publication O Tempo about human beings’ need to tell lies.

But it is not just humans that exhibit behavior that has the function of causing others to believe false information, said Smith. He described forms of deception practiced by insects and even flowers.

Human deception, however, he explained in the interview, is more complicated. He stated: “My view is that we have evolved as highly social primates. To succeed in large and complex social groups requires a high level of social intelligence. An important part of social intelligence is managing the way others perceive us, and lying is one of the ways we do it. So I do not think we’re molded by evolution to lie, but we’ve been shaped to be socially intelligent, and that allows us to lie.”

When asked if he views politicians as professional liars, Smith responded: “They are masters of manipulating our fears and hopes and presenting false or misleading images of themselves, the state of the world and what they will do. It is simply impossible to be a successful politician without being a skillful liar.”

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