The dictionary defines a lie as, “a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.” However, while the intent of a lie is to deceive, that deceit is not always intended to cause detriment to others. Lies can be told for justifiable reasons such as to protect the feelings of others, but more often lies are told for the wrong reasons. For example, lies are mostly told to avoid the consequences of one’s actions such as with criminal activities and academic misconduct. When comparing acceptable and unacceptable reasons to lie, the unacceptable reasons greatly outnumber the acceptable.
An interesting thought though is that almost all children are raised with the belief that lying is wrong…
Lies are commonly told to protect others emotions and their self-esteem, yet lies still are seen as wrong. So why is it so hard sometimes to handle the truth? Isn’t it better to be hearing the truth than being lied to your face? Maybe the problem is not the lies themselves, but we as a people lacking the ability to understand the truth and its effects that it can have. This would require that we learn better ways to resolve conflicts and the capabilities to move on from those situations. We need to question, “Would I rather be deceived right now and have the conflict become worse later, or get it over with right now?” Once we learn the benefits of telling the truth and become capable of understanding these benefits then we will be able to live in a society of complete honesty.
The debate over the acceptability of lying is a complicated one. Some feel that it is morally wrong and only ever worsens a situation. Others feel that it is acceptable in cases where feelings could be hurt, or if a person’s self-esteem may be lowered. However, there are instances in which lying happens simply to avoid the consequences of a person’s actions, and most would agree that it is morally wrong. Instead of going back and forth between “lying is wrong” and “lying is okay sometimes,” a better use of our time would be learning to improve our honesty with ourselves and with the people around…
