Aug 26, 2011 / Topic Ideas

When is it ok to lie?

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  4. some would say that omission of the facts is the same as lying, but I don’t think everyone has the right to know everything – someone asked how your weekend was – rather than discussing all the details of the big fight you and your partner had – you say – you simply say – it was okay. you just told a lie, is it wrong – i don’t think so……..
    ask your husband – do these pants make me look fat – he said no – he has probably only told 1/2 the truth, is he wrong?
    your mom askes how are things with the new boyfriend/girlfriend, and you are not ready to announce to the world that you are planning on getting married – so you say fine
    1/2 truths, 1/2 lies – shades of grey – and times when diplomacy is important.

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  6. Hey jmeyers, I really liked your answer. It seems naive and a bit optimistic to think that total honesty is either necessary or desired. In fact, when I was younger my mother used to chastise my little sister for her lack of “tact” for being too blunt and honest which I assumed as a then-young observer to mean that diplomacy requires an agile ascertaining of what degree of truth to share.

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  7. Lie, perjure, bear false witness…all the same. Never ok! If you cannot tell the truth, avoid the question! How about…”I don’t want to talk about it.” or, “I really cannot say.” It’s ok to say you don’t want to go there. Or, take the fifth! Remember, lies come back to bite you, your character, your good name. And…lying is WRONG.

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  9. “A LIE IS A LIE,AND IT IS AN ACT OF IMMORALITY.WHAT IS GOOD IS GOOD,AND WHAT IS BAD IS BAD;THERE IS NO OTHER MEANING TO IT.NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE/OR SITUATION ONE MIGHT FIND HIMSELF,THE MOST HONOURABLE THING IS TO TELL THE TRUTH”.

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  10. My rule is never lie unless you have to.For example, she asks if the dish she spent hours preparing is good.She also
    asks if her bum looks big in her new dress.The traffic copper asks if you have been drinking. At the polling station a candidate asks if you will be voting for his or her party. Yes, I lie but am not a liar.

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  11. In the About page of my blog I’ve written:
    “When the truth hurts, cut it into small pieces, chew them in a cute way, many times and with your mouth closed.
    You can also share it with others. Some will stand it, some others won’t.”

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  12. “ALWAYS SPEAK THE TRUTH,AND SHAME THE DEVIL.IF A LIE TRAVELS FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS,ONE DAY,YES,ONE DAY,TRUTH WILL CATCH UP WITH IT.WE MUST ENDEAVOUR TO KEEP OUR DIGNITY INTACT,BE ABOVE BOARD AND KEEP A CLEAN SLATE IN ALL OUR ENDEAVOURS.TRUTH PAYS!”

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  13. Never, and I think this is a very way to phrase the topic – as if it IS OK under certain circumstances. WordPress has many teenage bloggers and to imply lying is acceptable sometimes is irresponsible.

    I am very disappointed in this topic and I think it should be removed.

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  14. A lie is a deceiving statement… the issue here is not who is okay to lie to… the issue here is “you” either lying to a stranger, friend, family or yourself… it is still a lie..so no it is not okay to lie to any one

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  15. Agree – never okay… so.. why so many people insist in telling lies while blogging? I guess I’ll never understand the reason… 😮 Lie just to make a good story up? anyway, not a good idea to lie – even if it’s to strangers… 😮

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  16. When is it a good time to lie? Huhhh! I can’t say that it is ever a good thing to lie but sometimes it might be necessary for someone to lie even if it is by omission. No one is perfect.

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  17. When is it ok to lie? no there no need for us to lie= lie is the source of evilness doings. may start in a small issue but it grows that you can’t manage or uncontrollable.

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  18. Hi. There’s a difference between lying and cheating…..if you lie for someones betterment then its okay neverthless it depends on individual level of thinking whats good and bad…..but if u lie about your extramarital affair to your spouse then its cheating (sin actually!!) and it will come back to you one fine day.

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  19. There is only one time it is ok to lie. That is when a woman asks if she looks fat in her outfit. If she’s asking if she looks fat, it is either because she is actually skinny and has a warped perception of her body, or she really is fat and prefers to complain and be coddled rather than going to the gym as a lifestyle habit.

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  21. There are times when we need to lie. That lying is okay. These lies are called white lies. Sometimes we lied because of security and safety for ourselves and most especially for the people we love. Lying is not always bad as long our intentions are good and reasonable. For example, a closed friend of yours told you that she is pregnant and she wants to abort the baby and she asked you not to tell anybody. Of course she is your friend, then you said yes you won’t tell anybody. But then you inform her family about it so you can help her. Your intention is to help. Thus, you lie to her but you help her in other way.

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    1. Very bad example of justification. If a friend asks you to keep a confidence, then you keep it. How are you helping her by telling her family? The choice is hers to make, NOT yours. You have no right to seek to change her life according to your beliefs.

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  23. Some business man do, to sell other people infact telling the costumer the real price of the product is not a business they need profit 🙂

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  24. if you want to spare someone’s feelings, or to protect a friend, only if it’s nothing huge. only then it’s alright to lie,

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  27. It’s okay to lie if it’s to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or it’s not something the person really needs to know (a 3-year-old asking where babies come from enters my mind).

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    1. If a child is old enough to ask the question, they are old enough to be told the truth. A three year old is not too young to be told where babies come from in an age appropriate way. What do you suggest? Telling them they are brought by the stork?

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      1. I don’t know any kid (myself included) who WASN’T told that babies come from the stork at that age (or whatever young age they asked).

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  28. To all the people who said LYING IS WRONG, here’s a little scenario.
    You’re hiding some runaway Jews. The Nazis come to your house, saying they saw the runaways enter your home. Would you:

    Tell the truth and tell them they’re here and watch them get taken away?
    Tell a lie and say that they’re not there to save them?

    This is a much often-told example justifying that lying is appropriate in some situations… There’s a use for lying, as there is a use for being honest.

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  30. It’s okay to lie when you’re doing it to be helpful or preserve someone’s feelings. Seriously, what harm can saying “I think you look lovely in that dress” when you think the opposite do?

    I never thought about the above example of lying if the subject’s not something that needs to be known by the person asking, but I agree. A little boy I babysit frequently once asked me why my stomach is always hurting. I just said it’s because I sleep on my stomach. The truth is they’re cramps from my period, but what does a 3 year old need to know about periods for (boy or girl)?

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