Most people do not consider bending the truth really such a horrible thing. Dr. Leonard Saxe of Brandeis University confirms it isn’t nearly as bad as it seems because lying helps to escape potential punishment. If you show up late for work because you forgot to set your alarm, you’re better off telling your boss that you were stuck in traffic. In these kinds of situations, people don’t lie because they have malicious intentions—they ‘re just trying to avoid trouble. And lies like this, while dishonest, really don’t do any harm.