Lying is part of the culture?

[raymr]

A colleague of mine just returned from a visit to Vietnam. His wife has family there and they go every few years. I was surprised when he said that people lie there - a lot. Big lies, small lies, it doesn't matter. Everyone does it and it's accepted and expected. The only check on that is a person's need to uphold his or her respect and honor in the community. There must be skills involved to be able to lie while upholding your honor! I asked him if his wife is also a habitual liar, and he said yes.

I've only ever really known one Vietnamese person for a long time, and she was one of the most sincere and honest people I ever met. I mentioned this to him, and he said she must have left there at a young age. Sure enough that was the case. He said people do it because everyone else does, and thats how you keep up or stay ahead of the game. Maybe his view is tainted by the people he was with there? Does anyone else know about this?