By Laura Snyder

Before you get fired up about his constant fibbing, know this: We are all genetically programmed to lie. And we do it all the time. Studies have shown that most people lie once or twice a day – that’s as much as you brush your teeth! – and over the course of a week, we deceive about 30 percent of those with whom we interact.

So why does he do it?

He Wants To Protect His Ego

Men generally can’t risk the damage to their delicate egos by admitting that they have trouble with anything.  It’s this science at work when your man tells you “I can fix that” or “I know exactly where we are.”  This is also why he won’t admit that something’s wrong when he’s visibly upset.

He Doesn’t Want You To Know He’s a Sex-Crazed Maniac

Our own informal male surveys have revealed that, yes, 95 percent of the time they are thinking about sex (sex with you, sex with the girl on TV, sex with you and the girl on TV…).  Having learned this is not something that makes women swoon, men have mastered automatic responses such as “I don’t watch porn,” “We can just cuddle,” and “I was not staring at her.”

He Wants to Avoid Your Wrath

Lying often presents a better alternative than facing the consequences of the truth.  Admitting he’d once cheated on a girlfriend, for example, might make you question his fidelity, even if it was a one-time thing he’d never do again. In those cases, he’s more likely to tell you what you want to hear. That’s why he skimmed over the actual number of one-night stands he’s had, or varied his number of lovers. This is also why he’s learned to say you look great in everything, even if you’re in horizontal stripes under florescent lighting.

He Just Wants to Avoid YOU

Obviously, this is the classic “I’ll call you” and his evil twin brothers, “But I tried to call you” and “I meant to call, but I was busy/forgot/moved to Europe”.  (Also related is the post-break up, “I want us to still be friends”)  Sure, it hurts to be given the brush-off, but do you really want to hear that he thought kissing you was like smooching his sister, or that you were his worst sex ever? Didn’t think so.