Stephanie Ericssson The Ways We Lie Analysis

Background Stephanie Ericsson is a seasoned writer who draws from deeply personal experiences to find inspiration for her writing. She has battled with substance abuse for years, and had to deal with the sudden death of her husband while pregnant with their only child. Several pieces of her work have been published by Harpercollins and “The Ways We Lie” was originally published in the Utne Reader, a magazine that offers readers thoughtful writing from many perspectives.
Ericsson also kept a fairly updated blog in 2011. One particular post titled “Omission or Boundary?” addresses a part of “The Ways We Lie.” Omission is one of Ericsson’s many types of lies, and she addresses her habit of omitting the fact that she is a writer when interacting

Sure I lie, but it doesn’t hurt anything or does it? (3)”
In “The Ways We Lie,” Stephanie Ericsson discusses what she sees as ten types of lies: the white lie, façades, ignoring the plain facts, deflecting, omission, stereotypes and cliches, groupthink, out-and-out lies, dismissal, and delusion. After naming and defining each type she goes on to discuss when they are acceptable or beneficial, and what their negative effects are. Lying has become a part of everyday life and Ericsson wrestles with the justification of that while questioning when all the lies will end.

Content I have always understood that there were many ways to lie, but I feel that Ericsson stretches the definition of a lie far past what most people would even think to consider. I have tried myself to not lie for a day, and I found Ericsson’s narrative of her struggles to be very honest. Now knowing all of the other things she classifies as lies, it makes me wonder how many lies I tell a day without fully realizing it. Groupthink was a new concept for me and I did not really understand the harm in it until she explained that the attack on Pearl Harbor was an effect of the U.S. military “groupthinking” that Pearl Harbor was invulnerable. Ericsson obviously put a lot of thought into this piece, and it in turn made me think a