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Few people would likely say they enjoy being lied to, however many have arguably been deceived in one way or another. And while some lies might seem difficult to believe, others can be surprisingly convincing, especially if the liar is skilled enough not to start laughing at the worst possible time.

Redditor ‘WattAtWork’ has recently started a discussion about lies among members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community. They asked them what has been the biggest lie they’ve ever fallen for, and fellow netizens shared all sorts of stories, ranging from funny to pretty upsetting, and everything in between. If you want to see what kind of webs netizens have found themselves trapped in, scroll down to find their answers on the list below to find out.

Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interviews with the redditor ‘WattAtWork’ themselves, as well as professor in the department of educational and counseling psychology at McGill University and author of the book The Truth About Lying: Teaching Honesty to Children at Every Age and Stage, Dr. Victoria Talwar.

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#1

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For "We value you as our employee and the people working here are most important to us".

c_bolt , Product School/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#2

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For If you tell me the truth I won't get mad.

Justanotherkiwi21 , August de Richelieu/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Kobe (she)
Kobe (she)
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is why we say; if you tell me the truth, I won't get as mad as I would when you lie to me.

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#3

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For Going to college will guarantee your future success.

DowntownRundown , Pixabay/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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“I thought, what is something general many people want to know? What question might be interesting while not revealing anything about the person per se as well as anything on the internet that doesn't require some sort of account holder? Then I came up with the perfect question: ‘What's the biggest lie you've fallen for?’,” the redditor ‘WattAtWork’ shared with Bored Panda, revealing why they decided to pose this specific question to the online community.
#4

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For That suppressing your feelings makes you a "man.".

IGNISFATUUSES , Brett Sayles/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
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Mike F
Mike F
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It makes you a man with high blood pressure, possibly depression and with heart issues.

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#5

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For Life is easier after you grow up.

Main-Ad-9287 , cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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The OP seemingly took certain answers with a pinch of salt, though some stories the redditors shared did surprise them. “I, being new to Reddit after all (1 week, 1 day old account at the time of posting), have learnt quickly that the answers you get are often a mixture of jokes and truth,” they said.

“What stood out most, however, were all the comments about people's love relationships and their agreements about truth and lies. Many people have experienced their partner lying to them but believing it. I replied as best I could at the beginning of the post, before the comments piled up one by one, that they didn't fall out of sheer stupidity but out of hope for love.”
#6

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For Don’t remember the biggest lie, but my dad has a bald spot and when I was a kid he told me and my siblings that he got it from going to bed while chewing gum and they had to cut it out the next day

You bet your a*s none of us ever went to bed with gum after that.

Brianthepartyanimal , cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Petunia Petal
Petunia Petal
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why on earth would you go to bed with chewing gum in the first place?!

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#7

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For "we support a healthy work life balance"

Btw manditory overtime everyday this week.

Fenix_Pony , Marc Mueller/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Petunia Petal
Petunia Petal
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fixed it for them..." we support an unhealthy work life balance".

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#8

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For That each second between lightning and thunder is a mile. It was in my 3rd year of my physics degree before I learned my entire life was a lie. It's 5 seconds per mile btw.

Stampede_the_Hippos , Frank Cone/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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“I think the majority of people on Earth fall for several lies every day,” ‘WattAtWork’ told Bored Panda. “It's mainly about trying to see beyond the lie and understand the intention of the lie. You should definitely not be broken by a lie you fall for. Let yourself build an information field instead.

“Sometimes it can also be about lying for your own good, but sometimes it can instead be about people not being trustworthy,” they continued. “I think the biggest lie I've fallen for is that my friends haven't talked behind my back.”
#9

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For If you work hard and save you can own the American dream.

solitaire4now , LinkedIn Sales Navigator/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#10

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For When I was a kid, we would often drive a town over to visit my cousins. One of the roads passed through some ponds, one of which had a perculiar looking branch that had fallen over.

I always noticed it, would point it out to everyone in the car, and one day my dad said it was a “crocomigator” as a joke since we had just watched some Crocodile Dundee before heading out.

In my head it made sense, I knew how alligators could lay dormant for months at a time with a low heart rate, so the fact it wouldnt move just meant he was hibernating.

Years go by, parents split, my dad passes away, still look out for this crocimigator, get to high school, still looking out at the pond to look at this fallen tree not really remembering why.

Then one day, I am like 19, my mom, brother and I are driving on the same road, I instinctively check the pond and its not there. The memories flooded back and I say “god damn it”.

My mom asked me whats wrong and it took me a bit to stop laughing, but I explained the story of the “crocomigator” and we all laughed at how silly looking log in the water and my dad managed to trick me for years.

Wajina_Sloth , Alfo Medeiros/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#11

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For That focusing on education, rather than on developing social skills and meaningful connections, will be enough to lead a fulfilling and prosperous life.

Thanks mom, you had the best intentions.

Mind101 , cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
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BewilderedBanana
BewilderedBanana
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As with everything else, balance is key. Says the banana who would rather stay home by himself or with just his partner 99% of the time :)

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Author of The Truth About Lying: Teaching Honesty to Children at Every Age and Stage, Prof. Victoria Talwar, pointed out that people lie for a variety of reasons, which can be thought of as a spectrum. “On one end are lies that are completely self-oriented—told to benefit the self—followed by lies for self-gain (to escape punishment or negative consequences). Then there are reputational lies told to make people think well of the liar, then the lies that are more other-oriented, and towards the other end of the spectrum—lies to be polite, lies told to protect others or their feelings, eventually reaching altruistic lies where there is a potential cost for oneself but benefit for another human,” she explained in a recent interview with Bored Panda.
#12

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For 'I'm not having an affair, I think I'm asexual'.

-- My ex Wife who certainly was having an affair, and not in the slightest bit asexual.

Copytechguy , SHVETS production/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
57points
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#13

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For "He's just a friend, it doesn't mean anything. ".

SnepButts , Samson Katt/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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SupaCab
SupaCab
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This hits home hard for me, being gas-lit for a year does wonders for your mental health.

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#14

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For “I’ll pay you back.”
$9000 in the hole later… still haven’t been paid back.

Gl00myL3tt3rhead , Karolina Grabowska/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Thee8thsense
Thee8thsense
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you loan a friend money, best to consider it a gift. That way, if they pay you back, great, but if they don't, you are a great gift giver.

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According to Dr. Talwar, most people only lie occasionally—they may lie for self-gain or because they can achieve their interpersonal goals through deceit—it rarely ever becomes a habitual, chronic behavior. “Only very few people—less than 5%—are prolific liars; most people tell the occasional lie. Those that do lie, though, may tell lies more frequently and are also likely to tell bigger lies with bigger consequences.”
#15

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For My sister convinced me that I was adopted.

Illusion-M , Vika Glitter/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Rachel Pelz
Rachel Pelz
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cruel b***h. The appropriate rebike might be "well at least they really chose to have me", but that's hard for a kid to come up with.

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#16

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For Decaf removed caffeine from my body

ETA: yall I know what it is, I believed decaf was a way to remove caffeine from the human body. BELIEVED.

RoyalInfernoASR , Samer Daboul/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
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#17

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For I ignored my studies because I thought the world is gonna end in 2012.

wagdy-fouad75 Report

Final score:
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BebeR
BebeR
Community Member
7 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry but anyone that believes in these doomsday prophecies are not very bright. Doubt this person would have done well in their studies anyways if they bought into that nonsense. (Late edit: Assuming OP was not a child at the time)

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“Most of the time, we consider lying not a desirable behavior. The reason for this is because it erodes an individual’s credibility and it erodes trust,” Prof. Talwar pointed out. “Those that lie frequently often have difficulties in their social relationships; to be considered a liar is a terrible indictment in our society.”
#18

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For I believed that whole s**t of “if you both have braces and u kiss they’ll get stuck together” until i actually kissed someone with braces and they were like “u know that’s fake right”.

Zealousideal-Soup429 , Budgeron Bach/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#19

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For That getting a Masters in a STEM field would get me a great salary job!

Alternative_Cash_736 , Gül Işık/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Verena
Verena
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7 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

MINT in German, Beta-vakken in Dutch. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. Well, the chances of getting handed such a job on a golden plate without any activities from your side are pretty much low. But during that Master, students do usually meet potential employers. During internships, on fairs, visits to companies... It also depends on your specific field and knowledge and your plans for your life.

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#20

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For Ex wife telling me how disgusting cheaters are and how they are succumb of the earth. Guess why I am divorced.

lost_with_no_hope , Gary Barnes/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#21

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For That a fat guy in a red suit travelled the entire world in one night in a sleigh pulled by magic flying reindeer delivering presents to all the good kids. But only the good kids, bad kids can get bent. And he knows who is who because he's *always watching*.

sev45day , cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Sue Denham
Sue Denham
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You want to keep on getting a stocking filled with presents? Smile, nod and pretend you still believe.

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#22

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For "You're gonna scare the fish away shut up".

Nemoty_animates06 , Aarón Blanco Tejedor/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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arthbach
arthbach
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, this one is true. But only the shortened version has been given. The full version is, "You're gonna scare the fish away. If you don't shut up, I'm going to throw you in the river, and that will definitely scare away the fish."

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#23

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For I was catfished for like a year because i was young and stupid.

Any_Complex_3502 , Leah Newhouse/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#24

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For I got told I love you by a girl I had a crush on once but apparently she loved everyone else too.

DabNbeyondNormalUse , Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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generally_happy avatar
similarly
similarly
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's all kinds of love. I've had people tell me they love me, and I know it's not romantic. And there are people I love just like family.

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#25

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For I convinced my sister that the word "Mormon" was a very bad word. I was 11.

Zestyclose_Ad8755 , Matheus Bertelli/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#26

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For When I was a kid, my siblings convinced me that Medusa lived in our attic.

Free-Industry701 , Jeswin Thomas/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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SupaCab
SupaCab
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My uncle convinced me that there were cannibals' at the park near his house when I was 7, which then resulted in my refusing to ever sleep over there. Well played uncle, well played.

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#27

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For “Would you like to buy a magazine subscription?”.

BoogieSmools , Gül Işık/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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UselessKnowledgeFont
UselessKnowledgeFont
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's like getting a landlines call before we had caller ID. Dude tried claiming there was a problem with our "Windows PC." The Indian sounding guy was super thrown off when I told him there weren't any in the house. Didn't mention that with only one exception the only computers ever in the house were made by Apple

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#28

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For Once as a child they told me that in GTA Vice City there is a secret code for winter to appear, and I even wrote it on a piece of paper, and for a long time I thought that I was simply entering the cheat code incorrectly...

ColorfulGarland , Rockstar Games/Youtube Report

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#29

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For "Click this link for free ROBUX".

AceLamina , Vojtech Okenka/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#30

“If You Tell Me The Truth I Won't Get Mad”: 30 Netizens Share The Biggest Lies They Fell For That a seven foot tall rabbit would break into my house during the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, and leave eggs everywhere.

We’d go to the mall to see the Easter bunny and my mom would be all “that’s who leaves the eggs in our house!” Scared me so much tbh.

justinothernerd , Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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moggie63
moggie63
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only Easter bunny I have ever seen in the UK was on an episode of Vicar of Dibley.

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