is there a difference between a white lie and a lie?

Answer 1

A lie is a lie...period. All lies, whether white or black, will eventually hurt someone.

Answer 2

A white lie is still a lie, but it is a lie that is told to avoid hurting someone, or to smooth over a bad situation. A good white lie will not harm anyone or have any negative consequences.

Unfortunately, because white lies are often told on the spur of the moment, they are often not thought through properly. That makes it more likely they will be found out. The whole point of the white lie is to cover up something hurtful, and that thing is usually twice as hurtful if it is discovered later.

So in general, a white lie can be just as damaging as a lie in the long run.

Answer 3

Both are still lies, so it doesn't make a white lie any better. The difference is a white lie is told in order to hide a bitter truth. A small white lie might be, for example, telling someone they look nice in a skirt, when really you don't think they do.

Answer 4

there is a difference. If your wife said"how do I look in this?" you would have to say you look great , because if you didn't she would spend another 30 minutes getting dressed and then you would be late and who knows what other sequence of events that would trigger. That's a white lie. hurts no one and saves allot of trouble and hurt feelings. the other is a means to deceive. not a good lie . you know what that is right? Car salesman says to you "this car drives like a Mercedes Benz" "gets 40 miles to the gallon" you get it home and find that it gets 8 miles to the gallon and stalled 4 times on the way home. that's a bad lie.

Answer 5

I guess it depends on what you think. I think of a lie as something you say to save your own butt or to cheat someone. I consider a white lie something you say to spare someones feelings. For example, your friend gets a horrible new haircut and asks you if she looks okay, you might say, "yeah, it looks fine" just to make her feel good. Or you might be evasive or tell a white lie if you go to your boyfriend's mom's house for dinner and she asks you how you liked it. Do you say, "It was the nastiest food I've ever eaten" or do you smoothly say, "It was a nice dinner" without mentioning your dislike for the food.
I think those who answered "a lie is a lie" are full of it. I would bet they have twisted the truth at times to prevent hurt feelings--or at least I hope so.

Answer 6

i agree with cheetah7 totally. A lie wether white or black always ends up hurting someone. Trust me, my husband has told me enough of both white and black! There comes a point when the line is crossed. In a relationship there is no room for any kind of lies.

Answer 7

My definition of any lie is anything whether it be an action or spoken that is intended to mislead another person. Also, "white lie" is just said to make a lie seem harmless, Innocent, and just... a lie is a lie!!!!

Answer 8

They say little while lie, and not really. A little white lie is never suppose to hurt anyone. Just something to say to get ahead in life.

Answer 9

I teach my kids that there is...sometimes they HAVE to lie, like when someone gives them a present they don't want or like when Grandma asks how she looks in a pink polka dot dress...thats a white lie.

Answer 10

Example: White lie...you tell your boss you were late because your power went out and so the alarm clock never went off. Really you over slept because you partied too hard the night before.

Example: Lie...Telling your spouse you missed his call because you were outside gardeing when instead you were really in bed with another person.