“It wasn’t me.” “That looks so good on you.” “I was just kidding.” “She is only a friend.”

Everyone has lied – men, women and children. We are all guilty, but why do we lie?

Mark Redmond, associate professor of communication studies, said people lie for five main reasons.

“My students said the most common reason they lie is to avoid harm or loss of resources,” Redmond said. “Another common reason people lie is to protect the image they are trying to maintain.”

Redmond’s other reasons people fib include lying to gain resources, lying to protect someone else’s image or safety and lying for entertainment.

Redmond said that, although “lying” is a commonly used term, we should actually refer to fibs as a form of deception.

“People deceive others in three ways,” Redmond said. “They can deceive by omission of information, they can stretch the truth and they can tell a bald-faced lie.”

Some experts say lying is part of human nature.

Gail Saltz, psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital, said in a 2004 episode of “Today” that lying is a survival technique.

“Lying is age-old,” Saltz said. “In fact, lying is thought to be an evolutionary psychological process that is helpful to our species.”

University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert Feldman said in a 2006 article in Live Science, “Why We Lie,” that people lie to varying degrees. What really sets people off, he said, is lies that cause harm.

“We’re not bothered by white lies,” Saltz said. “We are bothered by people who lie for gain or deceive in a way that may cause harm.”

She referred to these people as pathological liars. They often lie to protect themselves, avoid punishment and make themselves look good.

White lies, on the other hand, are usually told to protect someone’s feelings, and Saltz said they are often admired.

Grant Hagen, freshman in construction engineering, believes lies usually do more harm than good.

“I think that sometimes people have good intentions when they lie, but they don’t always see how it will affect others,” Hagen said. “The consequences are usually bad.”

Though lying may seem to be a solution at the time, it can backfire.

“Everything seems to be okay in the beginning when you tell a lie,” said Joe Zwolinski, freshman in pre-architecture. “But when you don’t confess, things end up getting worse than they started.”

How to notice a lie

Gail Saltz, psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital, said in an interview on “Today” that there is no fool-proof way to detect whether or not someone is lying. However, there are a few signals that may be clues someone is not telling the truth.

If someone avoids eye contact during conversation, you may want to question what they are saying. Also, if the pitch of their voice varies or they say “umm” a lot, they may not be telling the truth. Fidgeting, covering the mouth and turning their body away can also be indicators of a lie.

The dawn of lying

Saltz said children start lying around the age of 4 or 5 years old, when they realize the power of speech. Their lies are usually harmless and are told to get out of trouble or get something they want.