London - One in five of us lie to old friends in an attempt to seem more successful, a study has shown.
It found that pressure to seem impressive means many of us fib about everything from our salaries to the stamps in our passport.
More than half of men surveyed said they exaggerated how much they earned when talking to friends from school or university, while 8 percent said they drove a flashier car than they actually did.
Indeed, some six percent of men admitted that they had been to a school reunion just to boast about their achievements.
Of the women who fibbed, 45 percent claimed to have a far more glamorous job than they had in reality.
And 12 percent also lied to make it seem that they lived in a much nicer area.
Perhaps tellingly, 42 percent of those surveyed said they would be loathe to go to a reunion for fear that it would be full of people showing off, according to the research commissioned to mark National Reunion Week from September 10.
Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos said: “We live in a time when everyone is desperate for everyone else to see them in the best possible light. And people don’t necessarily see why they should stick to the truth.
“So we tell people the postcode we have – or would like to have – or the car we have – or wish we had – to impress others.
“School reunions or gatherings of old college friends can be full of boastful untruths.
“Childhood insecurities rear their heads again when all these people get together and people increasingly resort to lies to impress each other.”
The survey of 2,000 adults found 26 percent had made false boasts about the stamps in their passports at such reunions, claiming to be much better travelled than in reality.
One in six also confessed that they would lie about their relationship status, perhaps in the hope of hooking up with an old flame.
As part of the research, participants were also asked what TV shows they would most like to return – with sitcom Friends coming out on top.
The pairing of Mr Blobby and Noel Edmonds also still held a place in their hearts, with 16 percent saying they would like to see the duo back in action.
The band they most wanted to see play together again was Nirvana, whose singer Kurt Cobain died in 1994, with a third of those asked nominating the grunge act. - Daily Mail