"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." — Sir Walter Scott (1771 – 1832)
Some things are timeless. When it comes to the art of deceit, scientists, psychologists and pollsters throughout the ages have pondered the question of who lies more — men or women? As you might expect, results vary significantly from study to study. After all, even in studies about lying, people don't always answer questions truthfully.
Another thing that makes it challenging to study this phenomenon is that it's hard to define lying. How do you know when someone is telling an outright lie or merely exaggerating? For instance, one series of studies compared students' reported grade point averages with their actual GPAs and found that up to one half of them exaggerated their GPAs in job interviews. But they were calm and confident in their statements, and researchers believe their deceit was more about goal-setting and healthy overconfidence than about outright lying.
According to a 2010 study on this subject from the Science Museum of London, men lie about 1,000 times a year, while women lie about 700 times. And what do they lie about most? That seems to depend on their gender. Men often lie about their earnings and their height. In contrast, women will often lie about their age and their weight.
Dr. Charles Foster of the Chestnut Hill Institute is skeptical of the British survey. "I think both genders think that the other lies more," he says. He says we all do it, and he believes men and women probably lie with about the same frequency. However, he also agrees they lie for different reasons. Men often lie to make themselves look better in the eyes of others and pretend to be what they will, or hope to become, in the future. Women tend to lie to spare feelings and make others feel better, and they pretend to be what they used to be in the past.
The DI connection
So what does this have to do with selling disability insurance? You already understand there are differences in selling to men and selling to women. One thing you might not realize is that men and women both lie to themselves, especially when it comes to the need for paycheck protection. After all, it's easy to take life for granted. How often do you hear these statements?
"I'll never be disabled."
"Cancer happens to other people."
"We'll find a way to financially survive."
"Social Security will take care of us."
