Lying

By: Sam Harris

Narrated by: Sam Harris

Length: 1 hr and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

As it was in Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, and Othello, so it is in life. 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 Lying, bestselling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie. He focuses on "white" lies - those lies we tell for the purpose of sparing people discomfort - for these are the lies that most often tempt us. And they tend to be the only lies that good people tell while imagining that they are being good in the process.

©2013 Sam Harris (P)2013 Sam Harris

Critic reviews

"This essay is quite brilliant. (I was hoping it would be, so I wouldn't have to lie.) I honestly loved it from beginning to end. Lying is the most thought-provoking read of the year." (Ricky Gervais)

"Humans have evolved to lie well, and no doubt you've seen the social lubrication at work. In many cases, we might not think of it as a true lie: perhaps a 'white' lie once in a blue moon, the omission of a sensitive detail here and there, false encouragement of others when we see no benefit in dashing someone's hopes, and the list goes on. In Lying, Sam Harris demonstrates how to benefit from being brutally - but pragmatically - honest. It's a compelling little book with a big impact." (Tim Ferriss author of the number-one New York Times best sellers The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Workweek.)

"In this brief but illuminating work, Sam Harris applies his characteristically calm and sensible logic to a subject that affects us all: the human capacity to lie. And by the book's end, Harris has compelled you to lead a better life because the benefits of telling the truth far outweigh the cost of lies - to yourself, to others, and to society." (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History)

Interesting and probably true

Sam Harris is insightful as ever.
I would like to see more shorter books like this by Sam. It would give him chance to explore a lot of topics and it's not very time consuming.

Unbelievable clarity! Thanks, Sam.

He parses these ethics out like a neurosurgeon with a scalpel. He's not one tho ;)

More ethical than Jesus

Sam Harris is an incredible thinker and thought leader on the topic of Ethics. His clarity is unmatched.

Thought provoking

I think it’s more nuanced than put forth. I certainly don’t disagree that lying erodes society. But parsing things as he does he seems to recognize the problem that necessitated his writing.

A must listen

Sam Harris has such a phenomenal way of explaining things that seem easy, but are difficult in practice. This quick little book holds so much about exactly who I want to be as a human. We are all capable of telling “little” lies that we think help us to exist better in the world, but the truest strength of character is honesty. I appreciate that he touches on situations where being honest can result in death, but also says that even in those times it is better to at least consider the opportunity for truth if it is there. It seems clear that it is far better to not give yourself any excuse to lie, but to be vigilant in protecting yourself and those around you in each individual situation.

Anyway, listen to this book. It will take less time than cleaning your kitchen, but will stick with you for far longer, and may help you change the world for the better.

Telling the truth is important...

What made the experience of listening to Lying the most enjoyable?

Sam Harris turns in an excellent performance. His calm, measured, exploration of the topic makes it accessible to the listener.

What did you like best about this story?

Harris makes an excellent case for the social benefit of always telling the truth - even in the small things.

What does Sam Harris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The personality of the author comes through as they read their work.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to the entire book in one sitting as I was driving. The trip went fast.

Any additional comments?

I recommend Lying by Sam Harris. It is a much-needed correction to our post-truth age.

Great ending!

The Q and A at the end was a really good listen and really covered all bases of controversy I had with the book.

Stop lying it only hurts yourself

Great read about how lying hurts ourselves our relationship and our communities. Don't be selfish... Read this book! Hot dog!

An Ethical Necessity To Contemplate

For me, Sam Harris, is an intellectual and ethical liberator. In this work, his framing of lying, and ultimately the degradation of life which occurs as a result, is both palatable and broadly relatable (socially, culturally, and so on).

Aside from its helpful anecdotes, the organization of the material was logical and presented with excellent flow. Its tone was neither shameful nor accusatory. Instead, the overarching voice was one that provided meaningful examination of the dangers that abound when imploring any scale of lying as a methodology for ethics or problem-solving.

Not only is this work time friendly, but it's also refreshing to hear the author voice his own work. I think it puts a cap on the cycle of the process from creation to consumption and best captures the essence of the material as a whole.

Absolutely amazing and insightful! Get it now!

Sam is superbly articulate and able to convey thoughts on a controversial topic like no other. I cannot recommend this highly enough.