Everybody bends the truth at times. But sadly, men have a notorious reputation for fibbing to their significant others. You’ve probably experienced being lied to a couple of times, right?
Can you tell it when your man lies to you? He’s probably got those classic warning signs: fidgety movements, flaring nostrils, shifty eyes, and more. But did you ever wonder why he sometimes bends the truth straight in your face – even if it’s completely obvious to you? Well, let’s explore in this post the reasons why do men lie – including some of their top fibs.
Why Do Men Lie?
There’s no straight-up answer for this; most men lie for the same reasons as everybody else does. The top reasons often include self-preservation and protecting their loved ones, including you.
However, there are instances when guys’ fibs are powered by other goals. Here are three reasons that seem to fit more into why men lie:
1. To keep his ideal image
Noticed your partner hiding his real feelings and thoughts in an emotional situation? Well, he could be lying to you because he wants to keep his manly image of a strong, tough, and protective guy who doesn’t cry.
A lot of guys are raised to have that ideal manly image – caring, protective, and tough amidst all trials and things. They’re trained to “keep it all in”. And as such, they simply fib because they want to be viewed as strong and dependable all the time.
2. To avoid conflicts with partners
Have you observed your guy blatantly fibbing in situations where conflict’s brewing between you? Well, guys lie to their girls to avoid conflict, plain and simple.
But it isn’t quite as simple as that. Guys know the implications of their actions. Your man knows you’ll be hurt by what he did, and he also knows he’s going to get into trouble once your anger blows up.
So ultimately, he lies because he doesn’t want you to get hurt, and he wants to protect himself from the immediate impact of your anger should you know the truth. He doesn’t want to deal with your madness right now, so he chooses to lie to you instead.
3. To impress his partner
Men can blatantly lie and brag about the little things just to keep ladies impressed with them. They can lie about their height, work, income, hobbies, and interests so that they’ll fit with the standard of the women they’re wooing. And yes, this kind of fibbing often happens during the dating period until the early phase of a new relationship.
Superficial as it may seem, lying to impress a woman may also have a deep-seated reason. A man could have an intense fear of being rejected based on these little things he lies about.
10 Things A Guy Will Lie About
So, we’ve decoded some of the reasons why men lie. Now, let’s head over to 10 things guys fib about the most. The majority of men’s common lies fall somewhere in between these things, although not all guys may be consciously aware of it.
1. Their Height
Guys can easily add a few more inches to their real height to impress someone they’re interested in. This is even easier to do inside online dating platforms.
There’s a published study in 2008 about the accuracy of dating profiles from 80 online daters. Interestingly, 55% of the male participants admitted to changing their height, saying they were actually taller than they really are.
Sounds silly at first, right? After all, why would your man lie to you about such a trivial thing as his height? But it truly boils down to his desire and efforts to attract you as a potential partner.
2. Their Financial Status
Men sometimes bend the truth about their real income and financial status. This is mostly due to societal pressure to provide for their partners even during the early dating stages. And let’s be real on this: Who doesn’t get attracted to a guy who can rightfully provide for at least himself financially?
However, problems could arise if your guy constantly fibs about money matters. It could create a constant stream of stress, erode your trust in each other, and even lead to separation and divorce. Best to be honest with each other about finances so you could both work around and find ways to keep your cashflow – and relationship – okay.
3. Their Whereabouts
Guys indeed fib about their whereabouts. And this doesn’t just apply to helicopter girlfriends – it applies to almost all ladies.
Sometimes, guys lie about where they’ve been for good and romantic intentions. For instance, your guy may say he’s still at work, but he’s actually on his way to surprise you at your workplace.
However, there are times when men just want to have a bit of privacy. They don’t want to feel like they’re being controlled by their ladies by knowing about every nook and cranny of their whereabouts.
4. Their Dating History
A guy might say he’s got lots of girlfriends before so that his potential partner may find him more attractive. She might think that this guy has more experience, hence, he’ll know how to please her more in their intimate relationship.
Well, intimacy is a sensitive topic for all of us. And for men, it’s even more daunting. They want to be seen as experienced lovers who can please their partners readily and easily. This could be the reason why some men choose to lie about their dating history.
5. Their Attraction to Other People
Your guy tells you he isn’t attracted to a female lingerie model or that hot girl walking down the street? Yes, it’s obviously a lie.
Attraction to other people doesn’t fade even if you’re in a long-term relationship. It’s just the way we humans are. But some guys feel that pressure to lie about their attraction to others, fearing for their girls’ reactions when they speak it out loud.
6. Their Fears
“Man up!”, “Keep it all in”, and “Don’t cry” have been the mantras men are used to learning throughout their lives. Hence, it’s natural for them to keep things in to appear emotionally strong to everyone.
When your man lies to you about his fears and tells you it’s all okay, he may simply be withholding his emotions to show you his emotional strength. He doesn’t want you to think of him less.
7. Their Fantasies
It’s quite normal to think of other fantasies even while having sex with a partner. Note that this goes the same for both men and women. Not that your guy doesn’t find you attractive, but sometimes imaginations can go a little wild, too.
Hence, guys often lie about their intimate fantasies to their partners because they don’t want to hurt their girls’ feelings. A woman’s self-esteem naturally plummets when she learns about her guy’s other fantasies, right? This is what men want to prevent.
8. Their Mistakes
Admitting mistakes sure takes a tough mind and heart for everyone regardless of gender. But still, it can be extra tough for men to admit their mistakes. It’s because they don’t want you to be disappointed in them.
Men may struggle to gain the respect of those around them, including their significant other. Hence, they worry that this respect will be gone in a snap just because of their mistakes. They proceed to lie about these mistakes to keep you from rejecting or shaming them.
9. Their Intentions
Men can lie to you about your intentions in subtle ways, especially when you’re just about to fall for them. This is quite sneaky, so be extra careful on this.
Some guys indeed have pure intentions and genuinely want to love and care for a woman. However, a few guys are out there just for the fun of sex. If a man’s attention gradually fades away after a few “no-touch” dates, then it’s likely he just wants some instant intimate gratification from you.
10. Their Need for You
Nobody can live alone in this world – that’s a fact. Everyone needs a connection to others because we’re all social creatures by nature. Hence, if your man plays down his need for you, it’s most probably a lie.
Guys often tell themselves that they can do things alone. This is a mindset that’s been engraved into their thoughts since childhood, all thanks to visual images of rugged men braving all the odds and succeeding on their own. But this mindset can lead to a destructive way of thinking that they don’t need help and support from other people, especially women as their significant others.
Noticed your man feeling aloof from you? Simply show your love and support in subtle ways that won’t bring down his self-esteem.
Conclusion
To wrap all these up, men have a plethora of reasons to lie to their ladies. Some of these lies stem from a desire to be liked and loved. Others just want to avoid confrontations, while some may genuinely want to protect you from hurtful situations.
However, you shouldn’t just dismiss these lies or be outright angry at them all the time. Try to understand why your man is bending the truth first. Always trust your intuition, keep your communication lines open, and stay calm and collected.
Keep in mind the reasons we outlined in this post as you try your best to help your guy resolve his conflicts and lies.