Mendacity

Wow, what a gorgeous word.  How eloquent.  How easily misunderstood and distorted.

Mendacity (n.) means deceitfulness, dishonesty, puffery, misrepresentation, disingenuousness.  I just read a wonderful article by artist and author, Jack White (http://faso.com/fineartviews/47488/mendacity) in which he specifically discusses the downside of using mendacity to sell one's art, either by exaggerating one's talents, or otherwise misrepresenting their accomplishments or the value of their art.  This type of dishonesty is rampant in our society.  Sadly, it seems even to be encouraged, as when parents praise their children for anything they do from the time they get up in the morning; every word from these parents' mouths is "I'm proud of you, Johnny."  That does not teach the child the value of perseverance, or struggle and effort; and it certainly discourages the child from developing a backbone of honesty.

Another example: "She told her husband that she was meeting a friend for dinner.  But she did not make clear that this friend was a man, as she did not want to stir up any feelings of jealousy."