At what circumstances lying becomes justified?
By getbiswa2000
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
India
March 13, 2010 12:34am CST
Hello dear friends,
Lying is a complicated psychological trait of human mind. Your nervous system incurs stress when you lie, which means you are actually straining your muscles and a few nerves when you are concealing the truth or fabricating it. Lying is considered as an act of dishonesty and it IS an act of dishonesty if you ask me. We all know this, even when one lies, one does it quite knowingly. Sometimes people lie for material gains. They lie they cheat and do everything that is necessary to attain a certain material goal. They often show a thousand reason to justify what they are doing, though deep down, they know that they are doing the wrong thing.
I am not talking about these conscience beaten, materialistic fools. When I am saying lying is justified, I indicate those moments when you are being forced by someone else to cling to the wrong path. When someone is deliberately harming your dignity or integrity, will you not lie? There are certain moments when you know perfectly well that truth will harm your purpose and you may loose your way in the wilderness. Where does lying becomes a necessity? How and when lying becomes justified to you?
Thanks in advance for your reply
God bless you all
1 person likes this
9 responses
@faridmadeabillion (1127)
• Bangladesh
15 Mar 10
Well, my friend.
Though lying is considered as a sin, but it's not objectionable when it becomes unavoidable for a good cause. Moreover, Allah knows best when it's just and when it's not. A lot of examples can be produced where many honest people couldn't help telling lies just to achieve a positive result. E.G. If your lying can save thousands and millions of innocent lives, then it's not a sin and Allah will ignore this guilt of yours showing mercy on you.
Have a great day.
1 person likes this
@faridmadeabillion (1127)
• Bangladesh
16 Mar 10
Yes, my friend.
We've been living in a very critical situation of the world of today where sometimes we have to do what we don't want to normally. In such cases, we always can't avoid lying totally. We're humans, not angels and Allah knows that very well.
May Allah bless you.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
15 Mar 10
Hello,
Yes bro, God knows the intention and not the execution. Sometimes one's intentions are not good enough even though he does heroic things. On the other hand, your good intentions may not always fulfill into what according to society, a justified deed. God is omnipresent and always takes note of the intention. Thanks so much for this wonderful response
God bless you
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@kat001 (92)
• India
13 Mar 10
Lying is justified, when
1.One could not realize the fact that what one says is not a fact. (It could happen because of forgetfulness or ignorance)
and
2.It is done for the benefit of everyone concerned without harming others and does not give undue advantage to anti-social elements.
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@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
13 Mar 10
Those two points are by far the strongest justification of lying. But there is a certain stage where once you reach there is no need to lie. As in that stage you are no more attached to any mundane affair, you can take every liberty to tell people the truth, and will feel quite satisfied about it, no matter how it affects the person concerned. But that stage comes after a lot of self seeking and realization. I hope I am making it clear. Its my opinion that lying is justified as long as it serves your cause, the holy cause.
Thanks so much for such a wonderful response.
God bless you
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
15 Mar 10
Of course I am clear. Either I know something or I don't. I am never in between.
Happy myLotting
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
14 Mar 10
There is only reason I would lie, to keep a good surprise a secret until it can be revealed.All other times I Don't lie.
1 person likes this
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
15 Mar 10
Hello Sarah,
How would I know if you are not lying here? LOL. You are an exceptionally good human being. Honesty can be a trait of only extraordinarily upright person.
Thanks so much for your response
God bless you
1 person likes this
@AjaySinghBaghel (5506)
• India
14 Mar 10
As you said lying is an act of dishonesty and I completely agree to that but there are people who want others to be dishonest. I have been very honest to my profession and work I do but some people around me forced to be dishonest to them as they did not understand my honesty I had to choose other way. I choose dishonesty as last option if at all there is something serious.
I do not not want to be dishonest in personnel relations which is much more important then profession. I would lie if someone need my lie to save his life and he is innocent.
I will lie when lying will not harm anyone but will save someone :)
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
15 Mar 10
Hello,
Yes, dishonesty would definitely be the last option to protect yourself. But people to whom you have to lie in order not to get harmed, are generally either dishonest or ill-motivated. Act of lying is beneficial to keep those people at bay.
Thanks for your response
God bless you
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
13 Mar 10
Well i lie at some circumstances, coz i think that its more important the situation than to follow principles by telling a truth. Say like doctor saying patient he is fine, just not to make fear and loose confidence. It becomes highly important, if it could save somebody life or do good for some one life. And if it doesnot hurt or affect any one.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
14 Mar 10
Hello dear,
Yes of course we should be careful about whether our lies are affecting people in some negative way. But more important thing is we have to also notice if our lies are affecting ourselves. The habit of frequently lying and then justifying it oneself actually makes the habit more firm, which is certainly not desirable. Finding excuses will just enhance one's ability to find more excuses. LOL. But as long as it is not harming anybody it is justified in social point of view. I totally agree with you on that.
Thanks so much for the response
God bless you
@umit_umit (1984)
• India
13 Mar 10
Well it depends upon the situation,if lying is satisfying the events of truth then it is justified!and makes a life of an individual!
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@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
14 Mar 10
Thanks for your response. Yes, I too believe that whether it is justified entirely depends on situation.
God bless you
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
13 Mar 10
According to me lying is not desirable.B ut one situation justifies it---if you have read R.K.Narayan's "A doctor's word" you get the answer.Here a doctor is reputed for his sincerity of word and deed.What he saus goes and normally he does not mince words.THere is one instant when his friend is in deathbed and he is summoned.EVeryone knows thta eh would speak only the truth.He also knows thta his friend is in bad shape but deliberately gives soothing words of comfort with assurance.As a result there si a turnaround and the friend survives.
Here. was thsi not for a good cause? It shows"Word is power".
EVen our ancient poet Tiruvalluvar has said that a lie , when is about to do something very good for someone is considered truth.
I can somehow not do this .I have a bad overactive conscience.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
14 Mar 10
Though I seldom read fictions nowadays, but I will read this book you've recommended. Word can be powerful. There is no doubt about it. This word if used in a clever way can instill strength in a person. Careless use of words can harm others to a great extent. Now, the reason the doctor told that lie and still had no repentance about it, is that he actually knew the purpose of his life. Whatever he did was just to move one step forward to that purpose. When your purpose is good and transparent, lying hardly matters.
Thanks so much for the response
God bless you
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
13 Mar 10
Hi Bro, I think you are associating lying strictly with verbal pronouncements. I think I am lying when I smile, while my mind is telling me to tell the person - I have something on stove, can we resumet this later. :) So social life forces us to be polite, and in someway, we all lie, quite often.
As to justification, I think when somebody's life or reputation is at stake, then I would consider it justified.
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
14 Mar 10
Hi bro, if it is likely to make a difference, yes. Like somebody asked you, do you know this girl, she lives in your neighborhood, is she a good girl? We are looking for a match for our son. Would you be able to say - ok - as far as I know she had a boyfriend last year? :)
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@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
15 Mar 10
I will stick to the question. I will say good if I think she is good. Does it have anything to do with having a boyfriend?
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
14 Mar 10
Well you have mentioned something important there. Reputation can be a reason to lie for. Almost all of us are more or less ego-centric, which means that no matter how feeble we are we will always try to protect our reputation. Now, reputation and self respect are two different things. One may have to lie quite often in order to keep one's reputation untarnished. But there is hardly any need to do the same in case of self respect. Self respect overshadows reputation. The former is more permanent than the latter. Also reputation depends partly on the opinions and thoughts of other people while self respect is a sense of dignity that entirely depends on you. Now my question is, can reputation, which is such a fragile and volatile thing, be a good reason to lie for?
Thanks so much for your insightful contribution.
God bless you
@Lochoa (222)
• United States
13 Mar 10
I'm torn on this matter. It truly just depends on the circumstances. I know personally I do not lie or if I do may be I do not notice it but I would rather be truthful than knowing I lied b/c once you lie it becomes an endless story.
I remember when I was younger I lied on the time just so I wouldn't get in trouble and some how my parents always found out and I always ended up getting in trouble anyways so it was pointless after away. Also I noticed the more I lied the more I couldn't keep up with my lies I forgot what I lied about then my relationship with my parents ended up not so great and it just became a huge mess.
I had changed my life and told myself I do not want to lie anymore to anyone b/c it only just hurts the people you love even when you're trying to make them feel better. For instancce your spouse looks horrible in an outfit and they ask you your opinion and you say they look great, well you think you're doing the right hting b/c you don't want to be mean so you end up going out and someone else tells them they look horrible! Then they het upset at you b/c you lied and made them look like a fool!
It depends on how you bring the truth up to the person as well. You can' be mean about it but caring and if they get upset then just tell em you were being honest like they asked or b/c you care.
I likke my life better with out lying and I feel that's the way it should be. So far for me it's been perfect
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@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
13 Mar 10
Hello dear,
Welcome to myLot. Lying is not a natural instinct of human beings. We often observe a terrible stress that we go through while lying. When someone lies there must be some gain he or she wants to have from it. This clearly signifies that the root of lying is not on execution but on the cause and intention. Now, once your aim in life is chosen after careful consideration, which may take even a few years, you are at complete liberty to do almost anything. Affection to God, once gained, you can clearly see the purpose of your life. Then killing even doesn't count. This is a certain stage that is achievable only by a few. At this stage the only thing you would stick to will be God. If anything thing comes between you and God, you will try to remove it by all means, lying being one of these.
Lying shouldn't be dictated by human feelings. It should be dictated only by your purpose. Not telling the truth simply because people will freak out, is not justified at all.
Thanks so much for such an insight to the subject.
God bless you
