So how often do you lie? And what do you lie about?
1.
“How are you today?”
“I’m fine, thanks.” Maybe you’re
not fine at all, but the social convention is to say that you are. It’s a
friendly gesture, and it’s almost the equivalent of shaking hands and saying “hello.”
But if you say you’re fine when you’re not, are you lying?
2.
“Do I look good in this dress?” or “How
do you like the meal?”
“You look good” or “It tastes
good.” If these responses are not true, what is the benefit to telling the
person the truth? Is it worth hurting someone’s feelings? Sometimes we lie to
protect people we love from being hurt. Is this really a bad thing? After all,
we know when the people we love want to know the truth, and we also recognize
when they don’t want to know the truth, don’t we? The above questions may be examples of when people don’t want
to know the truth, or at least don’t mind if we lie to protect their feelings.
3.
“Are you hiding any Jews in your
house?”
“No.” Think about World War II
for a moment. Many people were willing to risk their lives to protect the
innocent lives of others. Obviously it was dangerous, but if they believed they
had an absolute moral imperative to always tell the truth, all a Nazi agent
would have to do is ask a simple question, and the gig would be up. This is a
much stronger version of example number 2. It’s possible, then, that a lie can
save someone’s life.
What is the last lie you told, and what
purpose did it serve? Have you ever told a “purposeless” lie (e.g. “Gee, why
did I just say that when I know it’s not true, and there was really no purpose
for me saying it?”)
“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” – V. I.
Lenin
Comments
Post a Comment