Why People Lie In The Crucible

The Ninth Commandment in the Bible states, “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). This Commandment is crucial to everyone who believes in God and studies the Bible. It applies to all forms of lying. If God commands for humans not to lie, why does everyone do it? An example of this is shown in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a fictional play, loosely based on events that happened during the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts at the end of the seventeenth century. In this play, people are executed for being honest, as well as punished for being dishonest. The article titled, “Why People Lie” by Paul Ekman explains the different reasons behind why people are deceitful. Some of his reasons were that people

want to avoid punishment and embarrassment, protect others against harm, and win the admiration of others. The next article, “Liar! Liar! Your Pants Are On Fire!” by Julie Indvik and Pamela Johnson from California State University, discusses what types of people lie, reasons for lying, how to detect deceit, and how to manage lying in business environments. This last article, “Legitimate Grounds for Lying” by Rick Garlikov explores his opinions on how one can justify lying. He did not necessarily believe dishonesty is right, but in some situations, it is understandable. Lying is such a common action that people do, that they rarely notice how often they do it. Individuals lie, even though it is morally wrong, to avoid punishment, keep a certain reputation, and to protect themselves and others.
People are often frightened of the consequences that come with telling the truth. They are scared to be in trouble with a friend, parent, boss, or other higher authority. It is generally believed that “avoiding punishment is the most frequent reason people tell serious lies, regardless of their age” (Ekman 1). People will lie, even about minor actions. It does not matter how big or small the untruth may be, it is a natural habit for individuals to make up a fib in order to escape the harsh consequences that will follow. In the play The Crucible, Abigail, one of the main characters, lies to protect herself from telling the complete truth by saying, “we danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. And that is all” (Miller 19). People will protect themselves from being caught in a lie at all costs. Only telling part of the truth is not considered to be dishonest, but it is morally wrong because individuals are withholding information that is already known. People may even display violence by threatening others, like in Abigail's circumstance. Abigail warns “let either of you breathe a word...about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning and I will shudder you” (19). People show these aggressive actions in fear of others finding out the whole truth. They lash out and say information that is not intended to be said when being caught in a lie. Reputation is another aspect that determines people's dishonesty.
In today's society, everyone is concerned about three ideas: being liked by many, being well-respected, and being popular.

In stereotypical teenage drama movies, like Mean Girls, the high school girls make up lies about themselves to make them look better and make others look worse. It is all to keep a reputation. Abigail’s uncle, Reverend Parris, is not the one being dishonest, but is trying to usher the truth out of his niece, “...I pray you feel the weight of truth upon you, for now my ministry’s at stake...you compromise my very character” (Miller 11). He is worried that his reputation as a minister is ruined because of Abigail’s lie that would give him a negative name around the town. Sometimes another person's actions cause others to suffer the consequences. Then, there are some people that decide to stretch the truth by making up excuses to keep from sabotaging their reputation. Julie Indvik and Pamela Johnson think “giving excuses too often undermines a person’s reputation by making him/her seem self-absorbed, unreliable or unknowledgeable” (Indvik 5). Like untruths, the smallest excuse can make someone form a different opinion of an individual. If it is done frequently it can ruin a reputation and the relationship they may have together. To some, having a certain status means everything and they will lie to protect it at all

costs.
During the Holocaust, was it morally wrong to lie and say that people were not hiding Jews in their home? In some dilemmas, it is hard, to tell the truth because it will ruin the life of another individual. “Lying to protect yourself from them or from someone whom you just witnessed commit a heinous crime” is placing one’s own safety first (Garlikov 3). Individuals will often think of themselves first for their safety, but there are some cases when they will place others needs before their own. In The Crucible, John Proctor confesses to participating in witchcraft, “I have confessed myself! God does not need my name nailed upon the church!” (Miller 142). He knows that if he does not, it will ruin his family name for generations to come. Some people will say anything when it comes to family. Garlikov believes “lying to protect yourself from receiving a deserved, but unwanted, punishment” is also placing an individual's needs first (Garlikov 2). Even though it may be fair to receive a punishment for an unlawful act, no one wants to be in trouble; the easiest way out is to lie about it. Often selfless individuals will lie to establish the needs of others first, but most of the time lying is for the person's own well-being.
Wanting to steer clear from harsh consequences, keep a good status, and protect themselves or someone else in either short term or long term circumstances are all reasons why an individual may lie. Depending on what people's morals are it is sometimes justifiable to be dishonest. However, the majority of the population would agree that lying to purposely hurt someone is not alright. They may think it is justifiable to stretch the truth if it does no harm to an individual and protects them from danger. People often do not spend much time weighing the positive and negative effects that dishonesty may have on someone else, it is a simple act of impulsivity. Furthermore, depending on the circumstance, individuals are intentionally dishonest if their reputation is on the line. People often spend years building a certain character for themselves that they do not want to be ruined by admitting to something minor. No matter what an individual may say it always comes down to protecting someone's own safety and reputation before anyone else's. This also holds true for avoiding the consequences that come with lying because nobody wants to get in trouble. Therefore, individuals will lie because it is in their best interest. It does not mean that person is selfish, it means that they are placing their own well-being first. To what extent does the saying, honesty is the best policy, hold true?