If You’re Going to Lie about Your Age, Lie Older!

I’ve never understood why people lie about their ages.  OK.  Maybe actors and actresses “need” to lie to get parts or make people who hire or admire them think they’re a different age than they are.  But average, run-of-the-mill people seems to do it all the time.  Or at least decline to state their ages when asked.

Personally, I have no problem with telling the truth about how old I am.  It’s a matter of record:  public documents are available if someone really wants to go to the trouble to find out.  But more than that, it’s publically available on my face and body:  I don’t look 16 any more!

That said, if you feel a need to lie about your age, I’d lie older rather than younger!  I guess that’s because the only reason I can see for lying about it is to get compliments.  But if I say I’m 45, people won’t believe it.  And certainly won’t compliment me!  (At best they’ll keep quiet or give me a skeptical glance.)

If, on the other hand, I say I’m 75, people will say, “Wow!  I never would have believed it.  You look so much younger than that!”  (Obviously, you can’t go too far over your actual age or it again is unbelievable…)

So, if your goal is to impress people and gain compliments, lying older beats lying younger!