Do you think it is possible for a human being stop telling lies?

Molière examined this theme in his play "Le Misanthrope", in which the protagonist, Alceste, resolves to be strictly truthful and sincere in all things and at all times, with rather disastrous results. It is a fact that within our society we can be hypocritical and that good manners lead us to show pleasure at seeing others when maybe we'd rather be left on our own, or to be complimentary about things relating to other people when if we were to be strictly truthful we might be harshly critical. I wonder whether you are being something of an Alceste in posing this question? Perhaps when you say that we all lie several times a day the person most deceived is ourself, being unaware that we are lying. Is a lie here the suppression of the truth or the utterance of a falsehood? I am quite capable of not speaking the whole truth in order to spare the feelings of others, but I make every effort not to utter falsehoods. However, I don't know what my reaction would be if the life of another person depended on my telling the strict truth in answer to a direct question where the asker's intentions were malevolent. As I said, we sometimes deceive ourselves in such matters!

Edit - I have just thought of a sphere in which strict honesty can be a problem. We live on an island where transport to other islands is by small plane. They gauge the fuel by the weight of passengers. I always exaggerate my weight upwards, on the basis that others are likely to underestimate! Likewise, because postal services are lamentable, we tend to entrust letters and packages to friends and acquaintances who are travelling abroad to post them for us. When asked if we are carrying things for anyone else, we all deny that we are doing any such thing! You have convinced me that we are all fallible!

If everyone told the truth all the time, we would have no more insurance salespeople, car salesmen or politicians. Doctors would have to tell everyone that they are going to die. Teachers would have to say to the dim bulb in the room, "You are interminably stupid and would be better off to have yourself bronzed because you would make an excellent doorstop!

So, no, lies are an essential part of our present society. In Utopian society, there would be no need for lies.

How about the biggest lie of all? There is a heaven waiting for you at the end of this journey? You will never get proof of that from anyone alive.

No, we can't possibly keep from telling a lie. We want to spare peoples feelings.

We aren't "built in" this need! It's a learned behavior so we can easily change it and stop lying... (better in childhood,,,hahaha).

I miss you Kamelasa. Yours,Teacher Nora.

a human could certainly learn to stop lying.

it is not built in, it is a learned behavior to protect ourselves, whether from danger or unpleasant circumstances.

Not while they have a pulse.

i doubt it..