There's a basic lesson in philosophy called "the paradox of the liar". It's usually attributed to Epimenides, a Cretan (a person from Crete, not an idiot) who said: "All Cretans are liars." The problem is, is he telling the truth or not? If the sentence is true, then it is false. But if it is false, then it is true.

Confused? Yes, I thought you might be. The reason I'm bringing such high-minded problems of logic to you on this August morning is due to -- yet another -- report on female adultery. In a recent survey of 2,000 women questioned, one in six admitted to having adulterous sex.

Seemingly, women are just as likely to be unfaithful as men are -- with one crucial difference: women tend to keep quiet about their extra-curricular activities, even to their own friends, while the boys just can't resist bragging about theirs.

As Colin Farrell's favourite older actress, Dame Eileen Atkins, said in an interview last week: "Women are better at infidelity than men --they're better liars."

Oh dear me, it seems that we have a bit of a Cretan paradox here. Is the figure really one in six women who have affairs -- or could it be an awful lot higher?

"Have you ever had an affair?" I asked a married friend while discussing this report with her.

Long pause on the other end of the phone.

"God no, of course not. I'd never be that stupid. Anyway, even if I had I'd hardly be telling anyone would I? Isn't that the whole point of women being better liars than men?"

I press on: "So is that a 'Yes' or a 'No'?"

"It's a definite 'No'. I have not had an affair. And a definite 'Yes' to the fact that women usually deny having affairs -- even to their own friends," she adds helpfully.

"So you wouldn't even tell me ... just supposing you were?"

"I would definitely not tell you, just supposing I was -- which I'm not if you accept that I'm not lying -- you'd probably use me as an example of an adulterous, lying wife in a newspaper article!"

"And are you?" I persist.

At this she groans and terminates the conversation. And I feel like a bit of a Cretan for having it in the first place.

Surely though, it's a sweeping and irresponsible statement to make -- that women are better liars than men? And cannier at hiding adultery?

Last March, author Susan Shapiro Barash published Little White Lies, Deep Dark Secrets: The Truth About Why Women Lie. She asserts: "Women use secrets to facilitate their lives in a culture that encourages us to be deceptive." Barash supports the theory that women are better at lying than men. Surveying 500 lying women (who we assume didn't fib to her), she found that 75 per cent lied about how much they spend, 50 per cent harboured "mixed feelings" about mothering, and 60 per cent cheated on their husbands.

Well, a woman lying about how much she spends can be viewed as a necessary white lie. Even though men are

supposed to be good at hard sums and things to do with the economy, it's quite endearing how shocked they are if they ever get a look at the cost of running a household. There's absolutely no point in trying to explain to a man why a pair of shoes needs to cost in excess of €150, is there? No, better to hide them in the back of the wardrobe and then say, "These old things ... "

Yes, I admit, I have done this on occasion. Mea culpa. I promise it won't happen again.

Similarly, if a man asks me how much money I have, I've always thought it makes sense to half the actual amount and then subtract a bit.

As regards children -- as I write, I could quite happily exchange my little darlings for a nice pair of shrieking parakeets and think I had got the better the deal. Having refused to spend the morning with their grandmother, they are now wandering the house half-naked, demanding Nutella sandwiches and hot chocolate while they watch inappropriate American TV.

So would I agree that women sometimes have "mixed feelings" about mothering? Truthfully? Would it be possible not to?

But 60 per cent of women cheating on their husbands and blatantly insisting that they are not? Now that's a provocative statistic!

Married female friends with whom I discuss this figure are sceptical. Not because they think women are incapable of being unfaithful, but because they can't understand how such a large number have the time and energy for an affair. Or, at least, that's what they say. But then, they could all be lying and engaged in passionate illicit affairs that only they -- and the other partner in crime -- know about.

The men I ask are even more sceptical. Not because they don't believe their women don't have the time. But because their egos are loath to accept the fact that the little wife may prefer another man to them -- and also have the guile to hide the affair successfully.

Last week, former British Cabinet minister Edwina Currie described how she successfully lied about her affair with John Major for nearly 20 years.

She agrees that women are just as likely to be unfaithful as men but are better at getting away with it because: "We women are more wily. While men are likely to strut around bragging about their conquests -- indeed, even exaggerating the scale of their extra-marital infidelities -- women, conversely, are apt to keep mum about theirs."

She adds: "It also seems that men are almost universally oblivious to the signs that accompany their wives' infidelities."

So, according to Edwina, women are lying adulterers and men are egotistical nitwits. Or perhaps that's just the Tories?

I ask the other half, would he ever believe that I -- his beloved and devoted wife of 12 years -- could be unfaithful to him and get away with it because he's too egotistical to suspect?

"Erm ... God, well no ... I don't think so ... but not because of me ... I mean, that my ego wouldn't allow it ... it's not that ... I just think that ... erm ... you wouldn't. There isn't any right answer to this question, is there?"

"No, darling," I say. "There isn't. Because if I was I wouldn't tell you, and as I'm not there's nothing to tell -- unless, of course, I'm lying."

"Or a Cretan." He adds.

Precisely.