Lying
by Sam Harris · first published 2013
73% recommend18% neutral9% critical
Why HN recommends it
A roughly 20-page essay arguing against lying, white lies included, and for honesty in everyday communication. Readers say it changed how they think about communication. Suits anyone wanting a quick, persuasive read.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Most forms of private vice and public evil are kindled and sustained by lies. Acts of adultery and other personal betrayals, financial fraud, government corruption--even murder and genocide--generally require an additional moral defect: a willingness to lie. In [this book] ... Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie"--Dust jacket flap.
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…Aurelius: Stoicism, how to be a good leader, how to live life. How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie: Everyone should be forced to read this multiple times. I really need to re-read. Lying by Sam Harris: Seriously don't lie. You'll find things get better unexpectedly. 12 rules for life by Jordan Peterson: Here comes the downvotes.
on “Ask HN: What are some must read books?” ↗Lying - Sam Harris. Behave - Robert Sapolsky. Gene: An Intimate History - Siddhartha Mukherjee
on “Ask HN: What books have most influenced the way you see the world?” ↗…pathetic and lie. Be honest. What's wrong with saying "Sorry $NEW_PERSON, I have to go. It was great to meet you." If you're interested in the negative effects of "white lies" I'd recommend picking up Lying by Sam Harris.
on “Ask HN: As an introvert/ambivert, how can I reap benefits from social events?” ↗Read this book, Lying by Sam Harris: https://www.samharris.org/books/lying And a shorter version from the same author: https://ia601607.us.archive.org/23/items/pdfy-x4ByD3mMjIdTMC...
on “When Is It Ok to Lie?” ↗Animal Farm by George Orwell Night by Elie Wiesel The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris Lying by Sam Harris The Road by Cormac McCarthy Cosmos by Carl Sagan. The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson Man's…
on “Ask HN: Books Recommendations?” ↗…me. In the famous words of Frank Zappa - So many books, so little time. 1. The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris 2. Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris 3. Lying by Sam Harris 4. The Road by Cormac McCarthy 5. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 6. Cosmos by Carl Sagan. 7. The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins 8. A Short…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗Lying by Sam Harris
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗…as a necessary acts, because of "competition". But aren't wars and such just another result of this thinking, really? (For an interesting take on morality of speaking truth, see also Sam Harris' book Lying.) Here's a couple of ideas: 1. Can democratic state do without any secret service at all? I don't mean not to have "operational" security. You need to keep secret where you have troops, keys etc. But;…
on “Four fears for authoritarians” ↗Great link. I also read Sam Harris's Kindle Single, Lying, earlier this year and enjoyed that as well.
on “I Think You're Fat (2007)” ↗Read Lying from Sam Harris. It's a short read, you'll then know what to do. The digital honor code in the pdf invites me to share it with others as long as I've bought it (which I've done twice). Send me a pm if…
on “Ask HN: Should I tell my colleagues there's a plan to make them redundant?” ↗…is going to form a belief that is correct or not. For instance it's easy to lie to people by phrasing a statement with a triple negation. Few people parse triple negations properly. The kindle single "Lying" (20 pages; $2 or so), by Sam Harris argues really well in favor of total and completely honesty (but not unnecessary rudeness). He defines lying as "to intentionally mislead others when they expect honest…
on “On Intellectual Dishonesty” ↗"The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty" by Peter Singer. After reading this I dramatically increased the amount of money that I donate and began supporting several new charities. "Lying" by Sam Harris. This is really just a long essay, but it changed the way I think about communication. It convinced me that honesty really is the best policy.
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2013?” ↗“Lying” by Sam Harris. Changed my world. Audiobook might be even better.
on “Ask HN: Best books for dealing with workplace politics and dishonesty?” ↗…day. That's pretty standard trolling. >I regularly lie and pretend I know about topics and areas I have zero experience in. Never lie. This is a tiny book by Sam Harris: https://www.samharris.org/books/lying Lying never works. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou_shalt_not_bear_false_witn... In fact, soon as you decide to stop lying. You life dramatically improves and then shortly after that it drops again…
on “Ask HN: Does anyone else lie on the internet?” ↗Sam Harris is contributing to modern philosophy. He wrote a book entitled "Lying" about on why we should not lie. His talk "Science can answer moral questions" is worth waching https://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_science_can_answer_mora...
on “Ask HN: Who is your favourite living philosopher?” ↗