Do people really lie to protect someone else's feelings?

I think that your asking two totally seperate questions here.. So I'll answer them seperately.

Do people lie to protect others feelings? You bet they do. Look at women and how often they lie about a man's penis size for goodness sake. Point made.

Now to answer your second question.

Do people leave their spouses and g/f's and lie about their "PAST." Yes sometimes. Sometimes, though they just don't say or tell you everything, because it's none of your business, and honestly, why bother? All it stands to do is ruin what you've tryed to accomplish by moving on and forthright in life instead of being a stick in the mudd and crying yourself to sleep every night. Been there still do sometimes. Although, it's a lot better, to move on, just try and "FORGET" that the other person even existed. Then move on with a new girl reflect on the mistakes you made in your own concence and remember not to repeat those same mistakes. That's life. We all do that. Weather it's cheating, lying, or anything. We live and we learn not to repeat. Also yes, why say anything all it poses to do is create undesired "Drama" and escalate into a firery debate or argument, and then ruin what you have with the person your now with. Because see, they'll never understand what you went through in your previous commitments. They will think so, but they will "Never" truly understand because they "weren't there." Which is going to make you upset, and most likely angry. SO to end the madness and the soapopera drama crap why go there. Why bring it up, it's history not present day. It's over and done with so why not leave it there. Unless ofcourse you want us guy's to mention our ex's all the time, talk about them, what we wish they would have done differently, what they did that pissed us off, how bad they hurt us, and our emotions that we hide daily from you. I really don't think you girls want that though. Atleast last time I checked you didn't care for that. Or a guy talking about any other girl during general conv.

LOL

Lata-

Lying can only hurt all relationships. The truth is the most important thing in every relationship.

If we were all logic and only did things that made sense, we would be computers. Because we often act on our emotions, we sometimes do things that are contrary to what we rationalize our values to be.

i have never cheated on anyone and I hope to not have the next guy I'm with cheat on me
it helps that you get to know his background, his familiy, his friends and what people say about him, some of it is true some is false.
integrity is important in a relationship and I think lying hurts the person more than helps them

My uncle died and everyone in my family lies to my grandma and talks about how he's doing well... I think that is wrong. The same thing happened to me, my mother had cancer and my parents lied about it to me because they didn't want me to know... I think people like that are morally inadequate.

When I had made a mistake after having way too much to drink, and after my husband had cheated and lied to me way too many times... I lied. I lied to protect my ex, to protect myself, to protect my husband, etc. I didn't want a physical fight over me, and both men made it clear that there would have been. After I ran off the ex... I told my husband, because he deserved to know. I do feel guilty that it took as long as it did... but at least my ex is not around daily, my husband and I are both happy, and no jail time for either man!

I think people lie because they are chicken-shit about telling the other person the truth because they want to avoid the guilt of causing hurt and/or they don't want to be badly thought of. Not because they want to avoid the hurt. Because a lot of times thing just all come out in the end. and the dragging on of the situation can be more detrimental to a person then simply hearing the truth and dealing with it. ie/ suspecting your signficant other is cheating on you for a month and then hearing that it's true verus getting the truth that it happened right away.

Similar to the 'I'm not ready for a relationship' really meaning 'he's just not that into you'. Believe it or not - we already know it's the second and hearing it would help us a lot more to move on that hearing the lie.

In summary. To lie is selfish.