Moral Question of the day - lie
By laglen
@laglen (19759)
United States
October 28, 2010 6:21pm CST
Is it ok to lie?
little white lies or whoppers. Is there a difference. Is it ok to lie sometimes? to protect somebody's feelings?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lie
lie
1 /la?/ Show Spelled [lahy] Show IPA noun, verb, lied, ly·ing.
–noun
1.
a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.
2.
something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.
3.
an inaccurate or false statement.
4.
the charge or accusation of lying: He flung the lie back at his accusers.
–verb (used without object)
5.
to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.
6.
to express what is false; convey a false impression.
–verb (used with object)
7.
to bring about or affect by lying (often used reflexively): to lie oneself out of a difficulty; accustomed to lying his way out of difficulties.
—Idioms
8.
give the lie to,
a.
to accuse of lying; contradict.
b.
to prove or imply the falsity of; belie: His poor work gives the lie to his claims of experience.
9.
lie in one's throat / teeth, to lie grossly or maliciously: If she told you exactly the opposite of what she told me, she must be lying in her teeth. Also, lie through one's teeth.
Is it ok? Sometimes? when? Does it have bearing on your morality?
4 people like this
12 responses
@sender621 (14889)
• United States
29 Oct 10
Telling a lie should never be an acceptable thing to do. it really doesn't solve any problems or make any situations better. A lie always comes out in the end. someone is usually hurt in the process. we can avoid this if we just be truthful and honest with each other.
@chiyosan (30186)
• Philippines
29 Oct 10
i think it is really hard not to lie.. we often do say things that we do not mean and i think that is already a form of lying... but when you intentionally do say something to cover up bigger important things and if that sure is going to hurt someone... i believe that would already be not normal, it is something that is not expected. If your basis of being moral drill downs to lying, or not telling the truth... i think it is too much of a weight. Other things make up more of what being a moral person is and lies are just a small percentage of what it truly is. of course, you have to discount the fact that lies should not overlap itself or does not constitute the wholeness of a person... as when it does then you get the real picture.
2 people like this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 Oct 10
Hey there laglen...you were missed.
I will tell a little white lie in order to spare someone's feelings but, in general, I don't lie. Aside from the fact that I have to live with myself, I don't like having to keep track of lies. For instance, if I say that I can't attend a function because I have to do something else, then I have to remember that lie the next time I see anyone who did attend. Since I'm not a horrid person, I will tell a friend that that outfit makes her butt look big instead of letting her make a fool of herself. 
2 people like this
@hushi22 (4927)
•
29 Oct 10
in my profession there are times that i need to lie to protect the patients. we were taught to weigh the greater good so even if i dont like to lie if i know it is the best thing to do, i will. =)
i admit that at first it was so difficult. in fact there were times that i ask my higher rank colleague to just do what i need to do - "lie." but later on i realized that it isnt that bad at all.
2 people like this
@prettyauds (257)
• Philippines
29 Oct 10
It depends on the situation. Sometimes we have to lie to do good for others or to save someone from a big problem. But making lies just to be funny or to make someone funny,I don't think that's good. I hate seeing people laugh at someone because of funny or stupid stuffs. I pity when I see one. But may it be a white lies or a deep lie,it's still a lie. We cannot avoid doing or telling a lie,hopefully we could stand the lie that we'll be doing.
2 people like this
@skysuccess (8857)
• Singapore
1 Nov 10
laglen,
I feel that most of us do not realize that no matter what we do to lie and keep the truth from the other person, it will eventually come out when you least expect it.
When that happens, the consequence would be much more devastating than if we had decided to tell the truth in the beginning. However, I can understand that moment when one decides to take that seemingly easy way out, starting with being afraid of the unforeseen consequences like loosing our love and/or not having it.
In the words of Pietro Aretino where he said: “I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies.” So, I'd rather have the other hate me for telling the truth than hate me after discovering that I had lied. Because, the latter will have dire consequences on the trust between both people.
To me trust is something very fragile which is irrecoverable once broken and I just do not like to live with an untrustworthy tag over my name.
@lelin1123 (15594)
• Puerto Rico
29 Oct 10
I think there are only certain times that its ok to lie. For instance if you are trying to spare someone's feeling. Another one is you are planning a surprise party and you have to lie to the person the party is for. Otherwise I don't see why people lie. Some people do it every single day and its just really very strange to me that people can live their lives like this.
2 people like this
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
29 Oct 10
My friend and I had a big argument about this...awhile back. I try not to lie, ever, to include not telling someone something I know that I know he/she doesn't know (make sense?). My friend believes not telling everything, knowing that the lack of this information will lead the other person to the wrong conclusion/direction, is not lying. I say it is lying. When you don't tell the whole truth, for me it's lying, and I try not to do that either. And when I do not tell the whole truth...or lie...it always comes back to bite me...
1 person likes this
@yanyanyow (326)
• Philippines
29 Oct 10
i think everybody lies. they do it for some reasons whether good or bad. though you do it for some good reason, it is still a sin to lie.
1 person likes this
@hakuyo (200)
•
29 Oct 10
I do not think that lying is ok! We all know it, we have been taught not to lie when we were young but still, we all lie because after all, we are all humans and most importantly we are all not perfect, that is why we all lie. Simple as that. But we all know that we cannot stop lying so i usually try not to lie or if i were to lie, i would not lie on big and important things. Sometime in our lifetime, there is a moment where we have to lie, so moments like that requires lying. But i would not lie every single day. There are people who lies almost everyday in order to keep themselves 'cool'!
I really do not like lying because it is like lying to myself. I know that it is a lie but i am trying to lie to people. it is like, i cannot describe in words but this kind of feeling, feeling so fake. I do not feel proud, or happy when i tell lies, it is like loosing my pride. I do not know whether you feel like this or not, but i hate lying even though, i have to lie for necessary times!
I hope i helped you. Have a good day!
