When is it okay to lie?
2022, April 6. Wednesday
frdchcknHello everyone! How are you doing today? Have you ever experience lying to your friends, to your family and to yourself? If you answer yes, then it’s alright. Everybody lies anyway. On some level, we all do it. But have you ever asked yourself why? Philosophers have been asking that question for centuries. And the answers they've come up with might surprise you. It is human nature to lie, to avoid the truth and sometimes just to get things out of the way.
Ever feel like lying gets you into trouble more often than not? That's because it probably does. For instance, if you tell your mom that you've never tried cigarettes even though you have, then she starts going around and telling people about how proud she is of her upstanding child who has such good values… and then someone calls her out on it because they know you smoke, well… that's a big problem! Not only are you going to get in trouble with your mom, but your friends will probably make fun of you for being a liar.
So what do we learn from this? That sometimes telling the truth can get you in trouble? Yeah, but not always, right? So how do you know when it's OK to lie, and when it's not OK? The reason for the lie is what matters. If your reason for lying is less about yourself and more about protecting someone else, that's a better reason to lie than something that benefits you. And there are plenty of reasons to tell little white lies: to protect someone else’s feelings, to keep the peace, or because people simply want to believe something that isn't true. In these cases, it’s okay—even expected—to bend the truth.
The definition of lying is when you intentionally try to mislead someone else. You're basically saying "This isn't true, but I want you to believe that it is." This means that if you've been duped into thinking something that isn't true, but then repeat it falsely because you believed it yourself once. When it comes to lying, most people seem to fall into two categories: those who believe that lying is always wrong and those who think that lying is not only permissible but sometimes even necessary. While both sides make a strong argument, the truth lies somewhere in between.
However, that doesn't mean that every time someone says something that may or may not be true, they're lying. If a person is wrong—not intentionally trying to fool anyone—then they're not lying, they're just wrong. And if someone tells their boss they're sick so they can play hooky from work, that's a lie because it benefits them. So if your lie has a good reason behind it, whether knowingly or unknowingly, then it's probably OK. Some philosophers argue that occasionally telling white lies can help us get through the day with a lot less unnecessary strife, and that it's almost impossible to go about our daily lives without ever telling little fibs.
We all lie. It is part of being human, and it's something we've been doing since our species first evolved. But is lying morally wrong?
While the act of lying itself might not be directly morally wrong, the consequences of lying can often be. While you may have good intentions in telling little white lies, it's important to keep in mind that your lies could have unintended consequences for others. For example, if you tell a friend that you can't go out with them because you're sick when you're really just tired, your friend might end up going out alone instead of spending time with their other friends—which can impact their social well-being.
So, in a situation where the consequences of telling the truth would be far more detrimental than telling a white lie, then telling a white lie is probably okay. But if the consequences of telling the truth are less bad than those of lying, then you should tell the truth—even if it's hard or makes you feel uncomfortable.
So when is it okay to lie? It really depends on the context: be honest with yourself about what the potential consequences of your lie are and whether or not they are worth it. If there's no harm in telling a white lie (and remember, some people can tell when you're being dishonest), then by all means go ahead!
However, this doesn't mean you can go around lying to everyone without any repercussions though. If you're going to tell a white lie, make sure to keep it small so that you don't get caught up in your own web of lies and make things worse for yourself down the road! You don't need to tell huge lies in order to be seen as successful or accomplished. In fact, if you're too outrageous, people might not believe you anyway, and you'll lose their trust. And secondly, only tell white lies occasionally (like when it's really necessary). Don't make a habit out of lying because that will eventually catch up with you and cause problems! If people know they can trust what comes out of your mouth then they'll more likely want to hang out with you—so try not to lie too often!
Lead image edited in Canva
Copyright 2022 frdchckn. All Rights Reserved.
Previous articles:
The Grand Solemnity Of Our Parish
A Letter From My 70-Year Old Self
The Story of the Unmotivated Student
Thank you and keep safe always!
I think lying will never be right, but sometimes it's understandable when someone lies. It's still better to be honest and truthful but some circumstances may not allow us too. We should always use our moral judgment in those times.