Paltering

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Paltering is the active use of selective truthful statements to mislead.[1][2][3][4]

The term as applied in psychology and

John F. Kennedy School of Government in the late 2000s.[5][6][7] The first known use of palter to describe acting insincerely or deceitfully was in the 1580s.[8]

Paltering is considered both more serious and more common than a

lie of omission (a passive failure to correct a wrong statement).[3] Paltering differs from a lie of omission in the following way, as described by Todd Rogers of the Kennedy School: When selling a used car with engine trouble, a lie of omission would be a silent failure to correct a buyer who said, "I presume the car is in excellent shape and the engine runs well", while paltering would involve deceiving the buyer with a statement such as "I drove it yesterday in 10-below temperatures and it drove well".[3]

People who palter often believe it is less unethical than outright lying.[9]

Usage

Paltering appears to be common in negotiations. More than half of 184 business executives surveyed in a study by the Kennedy School admitted that they had paltered. Among those who did, most told the researchers they paltered to get a better deal. But the practice is risky, because when it is caught, it causes conflict, reduces trust and undermines relationships.[9][2][1]

Politicians sometimes palter to dodge questions in a debate.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^
    S2CID 3402556
    .
  2. ^
    BBC Future
    . Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  3. ^
    ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  4. ^ Gino, Francesca (5 October 2016). "There's a Word for Using Truthful Facts to Deceive: Paltering". Harvard Business Review. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017.
  5. SSRN 832634
    . RWP07-006.
  6. ISBN 9780804756495
    .
  7. ISSN 2366-2336
    .
  8. ^ "Definition of PALTER". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  9. ^ a b Gerdeman, Dina (2016-12-05). "How To Deceive Others With Truthful Statements (It's Called 'Paltering,' And It's Risky)". HBS Working Knowledge. Retrieved 2021-11-18.

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