Paul Ekman: Do We Want Liars in Our Lives | Big Think.
Paul Ekman: Do We Want Liars in Our Lives
Watch the newest video from Big Think: https://bigth.ink/NewVideo
Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos: https://bigth.ink/Edge
———————————————————————————-
Esteemed psychologist Paul Ekman makes a pretty good point about contemporary politics. Most voters value honesty and consider it an important criteria when they head to the polls. But politicians who become too honest tend not to last very long. It’s good to remember that a major component of politics and conducting foreign policy is the ability to conceal your real feelings from opponents. In that sense, it would be smart for someone running for president to find ways to enhance their credibility — especially when not telling the whole truth.
———————————————————————————-
PAUL EKMAN:
Paul Ekman is the Manager of the Paul Ekman Group, LLC (PEG), a small company that produces training devices relevant to emotional skills, and is initiating new research relevant to national security and law enforcement.
His research on facial expression and body movement began in 1954, as the subject of his Master’s thesis in 1955 and his first publication in 1957. In his early work, his approach to nonverbal behavior showed his training in personality. Over the next decade, a social psychological and cross-cultural emphasis characterized his work, with a growing interest in an evolutionary and semiotic frame of reference. In addition to his basic research on emotion and its expression, he has, for the last thirty years, also been studying deceit.
In 1971, he received a Research Scientist Award from the National Institute of Mental Health; that Award has been renewed in 1976, 1981, 1987, 1991, and 1997. His research was supported by fellowships, grants and awards from the National Institute of Mental Health for over forty years.
Articles reporting on Dr. Ekman’s work have appeared in Time Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Psychology Today, The New Yorker and others, both American and foreign. Numerous articles about his work have also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and other national newspapers.
He has appeared on 48 Hours, Dateline, Good Morning America, 20/20, Larry King, Oprah, Johnny Carson and many other TV programs. He has also been featured on various public television programs such as News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and Bill Moyers’ The Truth About Lying.
Ekman is co-author of Emotion in the Human Face (1971), Unmasking the Face (1975), Facial Action Coding System (1978), editor of Darwin and Facial Expression (1973), co-editor of Handbook of Methods in Nonverbal Behavior Research (1982), Approaches to Emotion (1984), The Nature of Emotion (1994), What the Face Reveals (1997), and author of Face of Man (1980), Telling Lies (1985, paperback, 1986, second edition, 1992, third edition, 2001, 4th edition 2008), Why Kids Lie (1989, paperback 1991), Emotions Revealed, (2003), New Edition (2009) Telling Lies, Dalai Lama-Emotional Awareness (2008) and New Edition Emotions Revealed (2007) . He is the editor of the third edition (1998) and the fourth edition (2009) of Charles Darwin’s The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1998). He has published more than 100 articles.
———————————————————————————-
TRANSCRIPT:
Paul Ekman: The most malevolent application of my work would be for people to learn how to not get caught when they perpetrate serious lies. How to actually become better at lying. In most interactions we have with other people, we seek honesty. In fact, on most of the public opinion polls that have been done, it comes up as the first or second most important criteria in terms of who we’re going to have as a friend, the relationships we want with our children, with our partner or spouse. We want them to be honest with us.
I’ve been asked by a sitting president — I won’t say which one — to enhance their credibility, in other words make them more successful as a liar. And of course I would never vote for a president who I didn’t think could lie. We don’t want our political leaders, when they deal with other political leaders, to put all their cards face up. We don’t want them to be untrustworthy either. So it’s a fine line that’s walked between truth and dishonesty. [Henry] Kissinger, not a politician that I enormously admire, but in his book on diplomacy he said it’s accepted if we conceal our true beliefs, our bottom line. But to ever actually say something false ruins you for future diplomatic encounters. So you can conceal, but you can’t falsify.
When my wife comes and says I just bought ….
To read the transcript, please go to https://bigthink.com/videos/do-we-want-liars-in-our-lives
@Levandetag
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
NO!
we dont want Liars in our Lives!!! …. not even those, withholding the Honest Truths.
@MatthewGoreBGenomics
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I don't know about lying. I am concerned about intuitive views, here. Was there an intended political motive when describing the lying President? I'm still a selfish Democrat when describing the lying, so I love Hillary. Bad timing🙋
@OmniphonProductions
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
The claim that people prioritize honesty is, in itself, a lie. Most people only want honesty when it supports their own preconceptions. Few egos can cope with honesty.
@tHatReaLSHiZ
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Seeking Truth? Google "Truth Contest" And Read "The Present"
@sheepwshotguns
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
he pronounces lairs like lawyers. coincidence? i think not.
@Dixavd
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I don't give a damn if you're lying or not to me. I just want to know what your intentions are and if this serves those intentions without hurting someone. Knowing when to tell the truth, lie or say nothing at all is a valuable skill. I value sincerity in belief above honesty in knowledge.
@EyeStabbingYum
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I did my senior project on microexpressions and i got to interview his assistant! Wasnt him but still awsome!
@dragons10000
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I am an honest man, always telling the truth even if that will mean to get cought – "Yes, it was me". If I sense you are lying to me, I will try to prove it to myself, and if I do, well you are out of my life. I'm not afraid of not having friends, did fine that past 22 years, with maximum of 3 close friends, currently 1. And I dont consider him true friend, that makes 0.
@SkateSka
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
"She wants the smashing" got me out of nowhere haha.
@FacelessOfficial1
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
(visit my channel and if you like the content subscribe) off course we want liars in our lifes, sometimes honesty can be taken as disrespect but most times it's good but liars are needed because nobodies perfectly perfect so we need liars to tell us WE ARE..
@MrTripcore
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
You want a president who lies? You're in luck. People are natural liars. Only the strongest and most logical of people lie the least. Have fun with your weak species run by weak leaders, it's easier to lie and do wrong than it is to tell the truth and do right. You don't care if your children burn in hell so go put your head in the sand you weak pathetic fool. "Esteemed psychologist Paul Ekman" More like Esteemed piece of sh*t.
@SKiLLsSoLoN
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Beautiful words are seldom true, true words are seldom beautiful.
No matter how fast a lie can be it can always be overtaken by the truth.
@kre8noys
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Paul Ekman for president.
@BoilingJD
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I'm always honest, that's why nobody likes me… ))
@imNotanExampleRdotDo
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
He didn't even answered the main question. With that, he answers it.
@brunon.8962
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Telling the Truth and have right are different things.
@MrRayne911
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I have a couple of friends that use this "conceal, don't lie" strategy in their human interactions (wow I sound like a robot) and they seem to get along way above average with everyone… I think there is some merit to this way of interaction from my limited experience. It makes no conflicts and sometimes has positive reactions in certain situations.
@midgetsHead
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I love Paul Ekman, but damn his books are hard to read. Long winded I guess. Wish he'd write a more layman's type of book that wouldn't take me 2 months to read.
@taureanbeaver3203
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Bullshit. All the cards face up, period. Secrecy is the source of corruption. If the cards were evident to everyone we wouldn't be owned by oil, pesticide and pharmaceutical corporations. We wouldn't have wars or poverty. We don't NEED representation anymore. Technology can automate the representatives out of existence and we can all represent ourselves on every issue directly. Why the hell are we still playing this stupid rigged game of corporate bureaucracy? When are we going to recognize humanity is all one race and we all need mother earth? It damn sure can't happen if we continue accepting that our opinions aren't good enough to be counted on their own… Put to a vote directly, there's no way anyone would choose to subsidize the corporations that are thriving on stolen taxes.
The idealism of America was based on science and reason governing. At the time, there was no way to do it without representatives. But the representatives have sold us out, and now they are obsolete… So let's re- draft a new declaration of independence and constitution, and get things done the right way instead of the profitable way.
@gregsloan11
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Video on how not to get laid.
@InMaTeofDeath
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
What if he's lying about his views about lying……oh god idk whats real anymore red pill blue pill WTF IS REAL ANYMORE SOMEONE HELP AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
If you don't tell the truth, I will find your lies and use them against you.
@Ballacha
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
concealing the truth really should be used in the right time in my opinion.
for example, when you know someone would definitely overreact over something and it's not absolutely necessity that she/he knows it, then don't tell them. that's the reason why even if there was direct alien contact, the government wold never tell us. because, maybe not me and you but in this crowd of 7 billion, someone overreacting may lead to catastrophic events in this case.
another example would be, say, you are sending your mother some flowers for her birthday. i'm sure you would not say "hey mom, here's a nice bouquet of severed plant genitals. happy birthday!", would you? the truth can ruin beautiful things like this, especially in the occasions when the truth matters less than the point you want to make/the message you want to send.
@BrotherLayth
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Lol. I thought he worth listening to. I thought he gonna say stop lying. If u keep lying god will record you as a liar and say things will help us to be Honest ppl. But he want the ppl to become better liars. What a legacy he is leaving ? So sad that I'm sure ppl will defend him because thy want lie to ppl.
@IPFreelly604
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
my favorite
@Kneedragon1962
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
We value truthful people. Well, actually that's terribly simple. We value people we think we can trust, but a person who just tells the truth, lacks diplomacy and common sense. Children say the damnedest things, because they're not yet the adept liars they need to become. Being able to chose when and where and how to be truthful, is far more difficult and important.
@hamooon
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
clinton
@LiberumBTE
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Lies? Corruption? Deceit? Hypocrisy? Who cares. #readyforhillary #hillary2016
lol
@fondrees
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I knew he was lying
@fondrees
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
3 minutes wasted
@broadwayat
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Misleading title …. Again
@bubblegumgun3292
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 pm
ask that to the Obama voters, apparently they do,
Comments are closed.