9 Bad Habits That Science Says Are Good For You

6. Lying

Lying is amazingly universally reviled, considering that it's something that literally everyone does. That's not an accusation, by the way, if you didn't lie on a pretty regular basis there would be something wrong with you, and you almost certainly wouldn't have any friends.

A now famous 2002 study by psychology professor Robert Feldman, found that people will lie about three times a minute in conversation with strangers. If that seems a lot, then a lot of experts think that the actual figure is even higher, but people tend to underreport and lie about their lying.

This constant lying is something of a social contract between humans. We all know that if someone asks whether you think they've put on weight or what you think of their hideous new haircut, they don't want to to be honest, they want you to be nice. People who don't tell these socially accepted lies are seen as antisocial, bitchy and rude.

Lying has a complex social function. It can get us out of awkward situations, diffuse tension, protect others and even forge friendships and the world would be a terrible place without it.