Black lies, or telling a lie to gain a personal benefit, are universally condemned. In contrast, white lies, or telling a lie to please another person, are seen as an innocent part of everyday interactions. Does that mean that white lies have no negative consequences? We discuss the origins and consequences of black lies and white lies, and point out the potentially ugly side of white lies. In everyday life, people sometimes tell “black lies”, and sometimes “white lies”. For both types of lies (or deception i ), the deceiver communicates misleading information to another person or group...

Can we believe in our own lies? Such a question eventually boils down to the issue of whether lying affects memory. ­­­­­­­This is particularly relevant in the legal arena, where witnesses, offenders, and suspects adopt deceptive strategies in several situations. Introduction In 1995, Binjamin Wilkormiski published a book entitled Fragments: Memories of a Wartime Childhood 1939-1948. In his book, he described his childhood experience as a survivor of the Holocaust. What seemed to be one of the most emotional and truthful testimonies about one’s vivid memories of experiencing the Holocaust,...