Is it better to lie to yourself and be happy or to accept the truth and be right?

Question

My friend got this assignment to write a philosophical essay on this topic. She's saying that it's better to be right because denying the truth would be selfish. I think there are certain situations where it's ok to be happy, even if it means not acknowledging the elephant in the room. What do you think?

Answer 1

Thinking that ignorance is bliss will only last for a certain amount of time, eventually the truth catches up to you, and when you're not prepared, it will knock you down. You'll wish you would have seen it coming, but you chose to ignore, deny or avoid it. When it creeps up on you and smacks you, it hurts twice as hard as it would have otherwise.

Answer 2

To deny the truth even though it makes you right simply means you are living a lie.

There is always an inherent danger in the perpetuation of a lie. Nothing ever adds up right because it contains an error. Only a truth resolves itself.

Your example of denying the elephant in the room may make you happy but when damage occurs (to yourself or your possessions) then confusion reigns as the elephant is being denied as the cause. Only when the truth of the elephants' existence is acknowledged can there be a resolution to the danger of its being there.

Any lie introduced into a situation can only bring about further lies. Lies are intended to obfuscate and obscure thus bringing about a confusion. Within confusion lies only unhappiness.

Expose the lies to the clear light of truth and you have understanding and resolution and so you get happiness.

Only the truth will set you free.

.

Answer 3

What's true to oneself is true to them. In a perspective world, it's impossible to see true objective truth, but one's idea of it is as good as anything else. In other words, they're the same thing. If you never know objective truth than what you believe most is true to you. Quantum physics shows much ideology that what one sees as true wholeheartedly becomes true to them, even if only in perception. What more is there to see than one's own perception? I have yet to see a person leave their body and see an objective point of view of the world. There are many things more important than being "right" all of the time. People's feeling and understanding especially. What if your Mother was sick and the doctor told you she was going to die of a terminal illness? You knew she was going to ask you when you came back from the doctor how the results were. You could either tell her to accept the truth and be right in which you'd know she'd definitely fall into a depression and become miserable for the rest of her days on this Earth, or you could "lie" to her since you like putting it that way and you could use charity money to take your mother around the world "just because you love her" and make the rest of her life magic for her. I bet the question you asked is in a little better light now isn't it? Most commonly I find that "Selfishness" is just a justifications for one's low self esteem. If you're doing something egotistically and arrogantly, then yes it's selfish in a negative way. But selfishness as in simply feeling happy? Nonsense. Nothing matters to me if I'm not happy. If that's being selfish, then I hope everyone will see the logic in being that way.

Answer 4

I think it's better to accept the truth. Lying to yourself doesn't mean that whatever's going on will go away--the truth is always underneath, something your subconscious knows about, and will have to be dealt with sometime.

Our society focuses far too much on happiness, as though being happy is the only thing that's good. We would all be far much better off if we focused on doing what was right and admitted the truth.

Answer 5

The truth hurts but it's better than lies. It's bad to live avoiding facing the truth because it would hurt too much, because you're scared of the truth. Since when is it right to take the easy path out of something? Especially if you're hurting someone while you're at it. It is not acceptable in my book to refuse to face the truth because it's hard in a case where doing so hurts someone else. (I'm her friend, by the way.)

Answer 6

Here is a list of "lies" that are okay to tell yourself (unless they're truths, which in that case, it's "definitely" okay to tell them to yourself...and if they're lies, they will slowly become true, if you believe your own lies.)
1. I love life
2. I like myself
3. I wish to help others
4. Some people find me attractive
5. I do not judge
6. I am filled with compassion, empathy, sympathy, mercy, forgiveness, and a desire to prove that very thing through good actions on my part...
There are more, but you get the point...
Telling yourself that "you're right" and that you "accept the truth," may be the biggest lies you could ever tell yourself....

Answer 7

Well...

Selfish or not, truth [1] is a slippery subject at best, and exactly what "lie" you tell yourself is not slippery at all.

First of all, lying to yourself is, at its heart, a denial of reality [2] and that is bad. Most major philosophical, moral and religious doctrines say that we currently don't see "reality" as it really is anyway, and that figuring out reality is up to us.
One of my favorite religious quotes is this:

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." [3]
1 Corinthians 13:12 (King James Version)

Happiness is a state of mind, not NECESSARILY baised on reality in the first place (remember the old joke about the little optimist and the little pessimist in the room full of horse manure? ) so what does lying to oneself add to the equation anyway?

For that matter, how long can one really expect to be happy when you know, deep down, that your happiness is baised on a foundation of sand, and can collapse at any moment? That's one reason why, when we as a species confront someone bringing capital-T Truth to us, we usually end up shooting [4], stoning [5] or even crucifying [6] them. No one wants their sacred cows to get chopped up... but if we don't "test" reality, then how do we really learn?

I believe testing reality - determining what REALLY is and what is not real is the primary goal of sapience [7].

To deny that, for any reason, is to give into one's animal nature [8], the part of us that lives only for the moment, the "ID" if you will, uncaring of what is to come, what damage is done in our personal pursuit of what we want.

To lie to yourself is to deny yourself, the truth of what we actually are - and to be truthful to yourself is the strongest way of loving yourself. Otherwise, all you are doing is dreaming [9], and when you wake up... what happens then?

Hope that helps...

P.S. I just have to add this quote from my favorite author:

"What are the facts? Again and again and again — what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what "the stars foretell," avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable "verdict of history" — what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!" [10]
-"Time Enough for Love" by Robert A. Heinlein (1973).

Answer 8

I agree honesty is the best policy, but freedom at the expense of others i don't agree, a person needs to find another source of out let, and because you are right does not make you wrong what; it is right are principles that are founded by a higher authority, such as GOD in the bible it speaks on terms as this in essence from the 10 commandments, people followed the commandments yet it was not in their heart, so in a sense there righteousness was voided.

Answer 9

It is better to accept the truth and be right. If you lie to yourself you could possibly have happiness but it will only last a short while. Even if it lasts your entire life that is still a short time compared to eternity. If you accept the truth you will have eternal joy and everlasting satisfaction and fulfillment.

Answer 10

Ignorance is bliss. If you saw the Matrix, it was the bad guy that said that as he was enjoying an imaginary steak dinner. It was the so-called good guys that chose the hard reality and grim truth of existence. Philosophically, then, it would seem that knowing is better than ignorance or willing suspension of disbelief. You see it all around you all the time, ignorance and willing disbelief, and it is not pretty. But on some of its finer points, it is a matter of taste. Some people I know whom I have asked said if they were to die, they would want to see it coming. I, on the other hand, would prefer to die in my sleep.