If you make polite excuses, like an untrue story behind why you are late to an important meeting e.g traffic was terrible where in reality you were late because of some other reason you are too ashamed to explain to your host.
Does this sort of thing make one a liar, if so does this make most people liars from time to time?
2007-02-07 04:57:46 · 28 answers · asked by M J 3 in Social Science ➔ Sociology
These may fall under the category of "white lies." They don't hurt anybody. But it by definition, you are lying. So by definition, you would be a liar.
Now if you're looking for what "God" thinks, then I can't help you.
2007-02-07 05:01:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
An excuse and a lie are not necessarily the same thing. A person could explain an actual event as the cause of their behaviour in order to put the blame onto something outwith their control, OR they could tell a lie.
For example, a student may ask their University lecturer for an extension on their project 2 days before the deadline because they have taken ill: the excuse is 'I can't finish my project in time because I am ill', however the lecturer may say 'that is no excuse, you have had 2 months to do it and you shouldn't have left it till now'. The student has not told a lie, but is using the illness to try and excuse him/her not being able to do the project in time.
However, if the student wasn't really ill at all and was trying to just get sympathy from the lecturer, then this would be a lie.
To be honest though, people lie ALL the time, if we were entirely honest all of the time we would probably offend alot of people, so in a way lies can be good in that they can protect others from the God awful truth and protect us from having to tell them it!
In summary, an excuse is more attributing the (often negative) outcome of an event to something outwith your control, a lie would be the complete fabrication of a story to save your own behind!
2007-02-09 12:05:31 · answer #2 · answered by Giorgie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My favorite excuse:
"I had roast beef last night for dinner"
It works for any WHY question. If you don't intend to answer the question truthfully, any excuse will do.
Let's back up to the reason for excuses - I expect someone to overlook behavior that they consider to be unacceptable. I may consider the behavior to be totally acceptable, but they do not. So they ask a WHY question.
If I am "late" whatever that means, then it's a fact in the mind of the questioner, regardless of anything that I say. If I have evidence that the questioner used a timepiece that is ahead of the correct time, that's new information, but I still arrived when I did. Not later and not earlier. It may have inconvenienced the other person, whether I am rightfully guilty or not.
All WHY questions are a verbal ambush when directed at a person's behavior. These questions impose one person's expectations on another person's behavior. Frequently they are based in prejudice - YOU ought to behave as I expect.
2007-02-07 13:11:37 · answer #3 · answered by Thomas K 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are excuses and there are reasons. If the excuse offered is an untruth, then yes, technically it is a lie. However, if it is what is termed a "white lie"; ie: an untruth told to spare someones feelings of to get out of a sticky situation, then it is more socially acceptable to most people. Only the most pedantic would say that a "white lie" is an absolute lie. Conversley, if one makes a habit of making up "white lies" to cover for ones failings, then that becomes a "real lie" and would be seen as such. White lies are acceptable only for occasional use.
Hope that makes sense.
2007-02-08 16:15:37 · answer #4 · answered by midnightvelvet 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If making excuses is a repeated pattern of behavior, then you are a habitual liar with a behaviorial problem.
However, sometimes practicality and social protocol dictate that we tell little white lies.
For example, it would be quite embarrassing to state I was late to a meeting because I had diarrhea, soiled my clothes, and had to go back home and change. Isn't it better to say that my car battery was dead, and I had to call the Auto Club to jump start the car?
Or a true story was that I was going down on my wife, and it took her longer than usual to achieve the big O. I couldn't tell the truth in the situation. I think my kid missed the school bus and had to take him to school would be more appropriate, don't you think?
2007-02-07 13:05:00 · answer #5 · answered by Jack Chedeville 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well if it stops you getting in unnecessary trouble or avoids embarrassment then whats the big deal?
personally i was late for work all the time but they knew the traffic was bad every day on the way from my house so i used that as a reason all the time! truth was i couldnt be arsed to get out of bed lol they even let me have an extra half hour to get to work and i even got paid for it ha ha seriously though the work i did for that company stopped it from going under and i spent all day sorting out other peoples fcuk ups so i justify that the extra pay for no work is no where near what i really deserved to be paid. they were tight but they could well afford it, MASSIVE global company but i wont say who (big courier)
anyway there are excuses and reasons and if they stop little dramas then i'l carry on using them lol
2007-02-08 14:09:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An excuse it's something that comes up to you at the last minute. Lying is a different thing. So yeah, if you make excuses that lead to lying then you will become a liar. You shouldn't use excuses to lie.
2007-02-07 13:04:16 · answer #7 · answered by Dama 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A lie is a lie. An excuse is a reason. I hate when people confuse excuses with lies. If you aren't honest about why you are late for an important meeting, then you are a liar. If you tell the truth about why you were late, you are giving your reason, or you are excusing yourself.
2007-02-07 13:23:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
An excuse can be a lie where it is a cover up - but it can also be a reason - 'I didn't bring your DVD back because my big brother stood on it' is an excuse, but it can also be true (when it IS actually true).
Sense do I make? Yoda I sound like.
2007-02-08 18:13:07 · answer #9 · answered by jennymilluk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do think that everyone tells a little white lie from time to time. Your example was a good one but we also sometimes tell lies in order to avoid hurting someones feelings or to avoid an arguement. Telling outright lies can be a vicous thing, but sometimes it is for the best.
2007-02-10 13:27:20 · answer #10 · answered by vanhammer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An excuse can be a real reason for something. If your making one try to be as honest as possible.If your getting one, try not to be judgemental on whether that person is telling the truth or not.
2007-02-07 13:04:20 · answer #11 · answered by glovorzak 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋