Confession: I'm in the extreme honesty tribe.

I wouldn't lie, but I don't consider missing out every detail of the entire story to be lying, but I understand some are more touchy about this. But if I was pressed on a direct question though, I'd not lie.

I don't do anything knowingly illegal (which includes not speeding), so I believe I don't have a problem telling the truth anyway.

For example, when I was getting back to be boy/girlfriend again, and realized at a later date that she'd considered we were back to together in Jan'06, but I didn't (as she was seemingly still very non-committal then). So I'd gone out on a date with someone else. When I realized the difference of opionion on when we'd got back together. I thought it best to avoid mentioning the date I'd been on. But at one point she asked a direct question, then I couldn't lie, so I "fessed up", but included in my confession with why I felt it was ok at that point in time.

My son hates it and has said trying to live his life like mine, is like trying to be as perfect as Jesus or Gandhi! He didn't realize I'm not perfect, it's just what I strive to be. I just wish I had pre-hindsight - not to be able to tell the future, but to have the appropriate knowledge available at that time to do the best action, or to be able to contain an emotion based on what apparently seems to be wrong due to being uninformed (or misinformed sometimes).

I guess being telepathic might help.
Also "best" is very subjective, and any action might be good for one person, but bad for another, or vice-versa.

I make my living out of listening to lies all day.

As a criminal attorney I get to hear some big ones. I like to think I can tell when the truth is being told.

I've seen the consequences of lying to avoid punishment - it's not worth it.

I don't lie to avoid punishment or for personal gain. Even when it's painful or embarrassing to tell the truth.

But when it isn't important, I have caught myself doing this lazy sort of thing where someone will ask me a question and I will just say "yeah," even if it isn't true, just because I don't feel like spending time going into details. But I didn't do it where it really matters, I would do it more like in small talk. I don't do it so much anymore because I don't feel good about it.

Someone told me once that I should conduct myself as if my dear favorite dead grandmother were somehow watching over my shoulder. I would hate for her to be unhapppy with my conduct. I try to follow that advice and it works for me.

with personal friends and conversations, why bother lying. But taxes and paperwork, hell yes.

I've learned something important about lying these last few years, when you leave out information for someone to be able to make correct decisions in their life, you interfere in their destiny. It's happened to me over and over.