Have you ever lied? You haven't? You must be telling a lie! Let's not jump too quickly into the discussion about whether lies are good or bad. Before that, have you ever thought about how we know when and what to lie?
Lying is not an innate ability, according to the British science TV programme A Child's World: The Lying Game. Instead, we are taught to lie as we develop into an independent person.
The learning process begins as early as six weeks old and the driving force is the desire to manipulate others.
In Lying Game, a hidden camera was installed in Adam's room when his mother left him alone in his cradle for the afternoon nap. Adam is six weeks old.
He didn't have any special problems, but wanted his mother's hug. Therefore, he opened his mouth wide and cried for several seconds. Then, he listened out for the mother's footsteps. Hmm ... there was nothing. He cried for a few more seconds. The cycle was repeated until Adam's mother picked him up.
However, children are not real liars before the age of three or four. For one thing, they have yet to grasp the art of language. More importantly, young children live in a world of no lies - they do not know they can deceive others.
