True, but there is, I think, a greater concentration of it in business and how companies present themselves to the world, rather than in every day life of ordinary people.

Advertisement in general is a total tip-to-toe agreed lie. Even if everything is true about that new crappy washing machine powder (can it be true though?), then at least the overly happy face of the ad mom is a lie. But we somehow agree to see those lies. We are trained to extract valuable information from it or otherwise just get programmed at the subconscious level.

So, somehow the habit of lying in the commercials is extended to all of the public relations.

> Lying about who you're friends with? Every high schooler in existence.

Who would a high schooler lie about being friends with? Was I really that lame that I don't recall ever doing that?

Ok, so maybe it's an exaggeration to say that everyone does that. I bet you'd be surprised if you really sat down and thought about it though.

"You know, Leslie Fischer and I are totally BFFs. She went to the dance with Bobby Jones and told me all about it. She told me he dumped her to hang out with his friends and then started dating that tramp Haley Freeman."

Maybe a popular guy/girl, you seem to gain social status by claiming to be friends with other high social status persons.