Are white lies an acceptable, even necessary, part of many lives?

Question

You don't want your kids to eat too much, so you say all the cookies are gone. You don't feel like going out, so you tell your date something important came up. You're overloaded with errands, so you call in sick.

Lies, all of them -- but we don't really like calling them that. In a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll, over half of respondents said lying was never justified. Yet in the same poll, up to two-thirds said it was OK to lie in certain situations, for instance, protecting someone's feelings.

Apparently white lies are an acceptable, even necessary, part of many lives -- even though we dislike the idea of lying.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/07/11/lies.we.tell.ap/index.html

Is lieing something you practice or try to avoid?

Answer 1

Try not to lie if you can help it. But on the same hand, if my husband or friend ask me if they look good, and I think they don't, I'm not going to tell them they don't and tear their self confidence down. It's better to say 'you look fine.' And they may look fine in someone else's eyes. They may even look fine to themselves, so why tell them you don't like it? There's a lot less damage done if you just say 'you look fine.' You don't hurt their feelings, or tear their confidence down, or hurt their ego, you don't make them feel silly or stupid. So you have to look at neon orange shoes all night long. . . big deal.

Answer 2

hi ako 2 i wager i'd make it easier to answer your own question with the help of asking you the way a lot does it remember to you that I furnish you with an effortless answer? Our credibilty is in direct percentage to our honesty. Honesty is in common words significant if having credibility and a good popularity between your friends is significant to you. in case you do not care if people can believe you or not, then honesty isn't that significant. that's not purely what people imagine. It concerns to you besides what you imagine about your self. no matter if you managed to fool everybody else, you should nevertheless know the reality. you should ought to go by ability of life understanding that you're a faux individual. So the real question is - is honesty significant to you? God needs you to have credibility to the point the position no individual ought to ever doubt a word you're saying. Your popularity should be so sturdy that in case you informed people you gained the lottery they would not even question it; would not require evidence, would not ask to work out the prevailing value ticket; they could purely take you at your word. For me it is amazingly significant, in my opinion and professionally. i'm in regulation enforcement - i'm not some thing without my popularity. i could not testify effectively in courtroom if I had a credibility difficulty. we may be able to ward off even the white lies. we ought to continually rather hit upon elementary procedures to talk tactfully as a thanks to ward off hurting others thoughts. Being tactfully effortless proper up the front will ward off extra themes.

Answer 3

As a Christian, I haven't told a lie in years and when I last did, the Holy Spirit convicted me and I went back and told the 5 year old girl who was trying to sell me some cookies or something like that I really did have the money, I just didn't want to buy any cookies.

No, it's not OK to tell lies and justify them in your own mind by saying that "the end justifies the means". It's a lot better to follow the precept given to us in James 1:19 where he tells us to be "slow to speak".

Then instead of lying you can be diplomatic when answering a question that just stating the bald faced truth might hurt someone's feelings.

Someone here on Y/A asked what they should say when their friend asked them what they thought of their new music band. They said the group really sucked and they didn't know what to say. I told them to tell their friend that "You've got a lot of potential and if you practice really hard you might be a great band one day".

If you don't want the kids to eat too much, instead of lying about the cookies being gone say something like "I love you so much that I want to help you to develop healthy eating habits and one way to do that is to control your desire to eat snack foods whenever your stomach tells you that you're hungry".

Don't feel like going out, tell your date that you don't feel like going out tonight but you really like being with them and could we plan on getting together sometime soon so that you will have time to prepare to get ready to go out.

Answer 4

The reason why people tell lies is to manipulate other people and avoid consequences. Lying has become popular because it feeds upon itself. The more people tell lies, the more offensive the truth becomes. When someone finally tells the truth, it's called politically incorrect "hate" speech, "rude" and "coarse".

If you can't handle the truth, don't open your mouth, and don't listen when other people speak. But for God's sake, don't lie and spit in the face of honor and decency.

Answer 5

I just judge every situation differently. No one is the same. White lies to protect someone are acceptable, but are we making the cause for someone to do the same to us? Either way it's unavoidable - at least if you want to have any friends! I try to be honest as much as possible, but sometimes it's not. That's life. :-)

Answer 6

I guess its acceptable if its not hurting anyone. I lie about my weight. I always round down 5 pounds.

Answer 7

no you should not lie anytime anywhere for any reason because in the end God will judge even the smallest lie or anything

Answer 8

I don't lie. Don't lie, it's bad for you.