Public speakers who lie are intentionally seeking to deceive their audience. Why do they lie? Some fear what their listeners would do if they knew the truth; they don’t trust their audience to react in a supportive or understanding way. Consider an older student giving a speech on gun safety who fabricated his identity as a military veteran. Although he was an experienced hunter and certified in the safe handling of firearms, he lied because he thought it would give him more credibility. Yet his audience might well have accepted his suggestions anyway; after all, hunting experience and a certification course are worthy credentials. By lying about his background, he risked losing his listeners’ trust if they ever learned of his deception.