It was also found that subjects, who reported telling such lies, did so as a means of conflict avoidance. Also, in DePaulo and Kashy's study, Everyday lies in close and casual relationships, it is noted that we tell fewer lies to those we find closest to us and of those lies that are told, the majority of them are altruistic in nature rather than self-serving. Not only were fewer lies told, but subjects also felt more uncomfortable about the prospect of telling untruths to those with whom subjects were more intimate. These are all examples of harmless, selfless strategies to maintain harmony that do not dramatically affect the quality of a pre-existing relationship. Now that the advantage of lying has been addressed, it is appropriate for us to turn our attention toward the detrimental, less altruistic effects of deception.
Lies can hurt.
When trust is broken or damaged, it is difficult for people to rebuild that which is integral to their interaction. In many of the relationships and interactions in bars, are of the sexual or casual nature. As a result, when lies are employed for self-serving agendas, extremely detrimental consequences arise. In Knox, Holt, and Turner's 1993 study, Sexual lies among university students, it was found that the most frequently told lies were about the number of previous sexual partners, the evaluation of the current sexual experience and the characteristics of and feelings for the current partner. The implications of this study alert many us to a problem that is extremely prevalent in today's bar scene, the dishonesty and insincerity of others, which can and will affect us physically if we choose to participate.