[originaltext] Although we are told when young that honesty is the best poli

Although we are told when young that honesty is the best policy, we are often taught the opposite by experience and observation. A child quickly learns that she cannot always tell the truth. For instance, the little girl who tells her great aunt that she’s fat and ugly learns that honesty can have some unfortunate results. Similarly the five-year-old who admits to pinching the baby soon has ample evidence that dishonesty might be the real virtue. In addition to her own experience, the child also observes that adults don’t practice what they preach about honesty. Any alert child knows by the age of eight that adults really employ the little white lie to serve their own purposes. For instance, a child may hear a parent explain on the phone that his family have a lot of company when the child knows that no one is there but family members. Another child may hear her mother insist that she’s terribly glad to see an old friend who has dropped by and then, two hours later, hear her mother complain about her day being interrupted by the visit. As a result, the child learns from watching that dishonesty is the practice even when honesty is the stated policy.