White Lies — where should the boundaries be set?

Discussion in 'The Cocktail Lounge' started by Rainman, May 13, 2015.

  1. Rainman

    Rainman Senior Investor

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    People tell "white lies" for different reasons. When a kid asks where babies come from, they may get the standard response, "stork delivered you." But where exactly does a white lie cease to be a white lie? Is there a difference between a lie and what one may call a white lie? Aren't both "untruths?"

    Your thoughts on lies and white lies?
     
  2. Fredrick Jones

    Fredrick Jones Well-Known Member

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    The boundary should be set at will the white guy get you into legal trouble. But in some cases it does not matter what you say. If your wife or GF asks you do I look good, no matter what you say she will probably get upset. She will either accuse you of lying or she will say why do you think that. Same thing if she asks you do I look fat. Probably the best white lie in that case is to pretend you did not hear the question.
     
  3. dianethare

    dianethare Senior Investor

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    I heard this in a movie...can't recall which but its like this; How to define Perfect Deception...."So it's alright to deceive with the right reason then...Theory...Telling the truth isn't always good but lying isn't always good, if telling the truth makes someone feel bad, lying can be good, good things can come from lying and bad things from the truth, although sometimes telling part of the truth is the same thing as telling a lie {shoulder shrug}
     
  4. Rainman

    Rainman Senior Investor

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    No matter to what extent white lies are "whitewashed" they just are lies. The intentions [for telling them] might be good but that wouldn't matter to the person who's been lied to should they find out the truth. They'd never trust you. IMHO, it always better not to lie at all. If you are unwilling to tell the truth then don't answer a question. Sure that will annoy that person and they might jump to conclusions but it's much better than telling a white lie which might be used against when you least expect it.
     
  5. Sunflogun

    Sunflogun Well-Known Member

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    I don't think that it's correct to lie, but sometimes a white lie can save us a lot of problems and complications and so in that case it's better to save someone's suffering that to tell the truth at all costs. What would anyone benefit from that?
     
  6. JoshPosh

    JoshPosh Guest

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    White lies are used to protect someone from the ugly truth. It can also be used to protect little children from things that are not ready to hear or could possibly understand.

    Now regular lies are meant to deceive and get something out of it.
     
  7. dianethare

    dianethare Senior Investor

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    So in a nutshell, there are no black, white, grey or any other color of lies...a lie is a lie...simple and to the point, i have to confess, sometimes i've lied to save my $#% or get myself out of a messy fix and in a way it worked, don't get me wrong, i hate lying as much as the next person but when caught up in a pickle, i've got to save my skin :)
     
  8. Rainman

    Rainman Senior Investor

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    Some people who are very much in the "ethics" stuff say that the only time a person should lie is when telling the truth would probably get a lot of people killed. One of the reasons why I prefer solitude these days is because I don't have to lie to anyone. Whoever seeks me out in my "lair" better be prepared to hear nothing but the truth.

    That's it. A lie to me is a lie. But for others, there are those distinctions. There are white lies and others . . .
     
  9. crimsonghost747

    crimsonghost747 Senior Investor

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    To be honest I just stick to telling the truth. It can be painful in the short term but in the end it's easiest for everyone.
     
  10. teastocks

    teastocks Well-Known Member

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    I really think that it should stop at all lies. I try my best not to tell lies because I feel really bad after I tell them and then my conscious really plays games with me. I just try not to tell them in the first place because I have seen people get into big trouble when they thought that the best thing for them to do was to tell lies.
     

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