Paltering

{{Short description|Deceptive argument style}}

Paltering is the active use of selective truthful statements to mislead.{{Cite journal|last1=Rogers|first1=Todd|last2=Zeckhauser|first2=Richard|last3=Gino|first3=Francesca|last4=Norton|first4=Michael I.|last5=Schweitzer|first5=Maurice E.|date=March 2017|title=Artful paltering: The risks and rewards of using truthful statements to mislead others|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27936834/|journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|volume=112|issue=3|pages=456–473|doi=10.1037/pspi0000081|issn=1939-1315|pmid=27936834|s2cid=3402556}}{{cite web|last1=Hogenboom |first1=Melissa |title=The devious art of lying by telling the truth |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20171114-the-disturbing-art-of-lying-by-telling-the-truth |work=BBC Future |date=15 November 2017 |language=en|access-date=2021-11-18}}{{Cite news|last=McGregor|first=Jena|date=December 29, 2016|title=When telling the truth is actually dishonest|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2016/12/29/when-telling-the-truth-is-actually-dishonest/|access-date=2021-11-18|issn=0190-8286}}{{cite journal |last1=Gino |first1=Francesca |author1-link=Francesca Gino |title=There's a Word for Using Truthful Facts to Deceive: Paltering |url=https://hbr.org/2016/10/theres-a-word-for-using-truthful-facts-to-deceive-paltering |journal=Harvard Business Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105085949/https://hbr.org/2016/10/theres-a-word-for-using-truthful-facts-to-deceive-paltering |archive-date=5 January 2017 |date=5 October 2016}}

The term as applied in psychology and mediation studies was developed by researchers at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in the late 2000s.{{cite report|last1=Schauer |first1=Frederick |last2=Zeckhauser |first2=Richard |title=Paltering |series=KSG Faculty Research Working Paper Series|docket=RWP07-006 |date=February 2007 |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=832634 |publisher=Social Science Research Network |language=en|doi=10.2139/ssrn.832634|ssrn=832634 |url-access=subscription }}{{cite book |last1=Schauer |first1=Frederick |last2=Zeckhauser |first2=Richard |editor1-last=Harrington |editor1-first=Brooke |editor1-link=Brooke Harrington |title=Deception: From Ancient Empires to Internet Dating |date=2009 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=9780804756495 |pages=38–54 |chapter=Paltering}}{{cite journal |last1=Harnack |first1=Klaus |title=Paltering – wie man mit Wahrheiten lügen kann |journal=Die Mediation |date=2019 |pages=26–27 |url=https://www.klausharnack.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Klaus-Harnack_Die-wissenschaftliche-Kolumne_Paltering.pdf |trans-title=Paltering - how to lie with truths |language=de|issn=2366-2336}} The first known use of palter to describe acting insincerely or deceitfully was in the 1580s.{{Cite web|title=Definition of PALTER|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palter|access-date=2021-11-19|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}

Paltering is considered both more serious and more common than a lie of omission (a passive failure to correct a wrong statement). 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".

People who palter often believe it is less unethical than outright lying.{{Cite web|last=Gerdeman|first=Dina|date=2016-12-05|title=How To Deceive Others With Truthful Statements (It's Called 'Paltering,' And It's Risky)|url=http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/why-one-must-not-palter-when-negotiating|access-date=2021-11-18|website=HBS Working Knowledge|language=en}}

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