Are little white lies ok? (yes or no)

Enmos said:
Ok relax man :)
It was just an example.
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I'm relaxed.
I apologize if I am coming off upset or something - that is not my intention.

Enmos said:
To me, omitting the truth upon being asked is a form of lying.
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I agree.
Upon being asked, I will answer honestly.

Enmos said:
I quoted some examples from Wikipedia above, to explain what i mean with mutualy beneficial lies.
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If my old, saggy wife asks me if she is beautiful, I will be honest and tell her that she is.
I fell in love with her for all her beauty, not just physical - and I believe I will still find her physically attractive when she's 98.
If she asks me if she has teh body of an 18-year-old - we will both laugh our asses off.
She appreciates honesty as much as I do.

If the husband of the slut is enraged, he has every right to be, but far be it from me to meddle.
"Don't ask me, ask your wife. I'm not her baby-sitter."
I have had people ask me to lie for them to their significant others.
I told them each they were out of their minds.
I told them that I will not cover for them, so they will be better off simply not telling me where they are.
If you want to get me involved in your sordid relationship and your lies, you don't know me at all, and you have no respect for me and my values - you are not a friend.
If he is violent, she is a damned fool for cheating on him, instead of leaving him, and I am SURE we would have had this talk before, if she was a friend of mine.
If I am seriously that concerned about her safety, I will do what I can to intervene and help her leave the asshole - if she is unwilling to, she made her bed.
 
Baron Max said:
It's funny ...everyone seems to want to be able to lie, white lies or other, yet they don't want others to lie to them.

People want to be able to tell lies whenever they want, yet they'll scream bloody murder if some politician lies.

Hippo-critters?

Baron Max
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Just human nature.
And yes, i want to able to lie. I want to be able to decide wether i am going to lie or not. Its called free will.
 
I am not saying that I have never or will never lie.
If the police were searching for my brother, who was wrongfully accused of murder, I will not tell them, "Yes. He is hiding in my basement, in fact".
That is hardly a "white lie", though, is it - and I feel the greater justice has been served.
Integrity trumps honesty.
I do not, however, make it a habit to lie.
I do not tell white lies.
I do not lie to save face.
I do not lie to protect feelings or egos.
 
Only time I use white lies is when I am being a coward. i.e. to avoid a get together where I know I will be bored stiff, to avoid invitations from people I cannot stand and to avoid letting on when I know something that is meant to be in confidence.
 
one_raven said:
I'm relaxed.
I apologize if I am coming off upset or something - that is not my intention.


I agree.
Upon being asked, I will answer honestly.


If my old, saggy wife asks me if she is beautiful, I will be honest and tell her that she is.
I fell in love with her for all her beauty, not just physical - and I believe I will still find her physically attractive when she's 98.
If she asks me if she has teh body of an 18-year-old - we will both laugh our asses off.
She appreciates honesty as much as I do.

If the husband of the slut is enraged, he has every right to be, but far be it from me to meddle.
"Don't ask me, ask your wife. I'm not her baby-sitter."
I have had people ask me to lie for them to their significant others.
I told them each they were out of their minds.
I told them that I will not cover for them, so they will be better off simply not telling me where they are.
If you want to get me involved in your sordid relationship and your lies, you don't know me at all, and you have no respect for me and my values - you are not a friend.
If he is violent, she is a damned fool for cheating on him, instead of leaving him, and I am SURE we would have had this talk before, if she was a friend of mine.
If I am seriously that concerned about her safety, I will do what I can to intervene and help her leave the asshole - if she is unwilling to, she made her bed.
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I respect that.
I believe people should not lie to either solely benefit themselves or to bring harm to others.
But i also believe that in particular cases lying is the right thing to do.
"Don't ask me, ask your wife. I'm not her baby-sitter." is deliberately omitting the truth upon being asked. Thats, in my book, a (respectable) lie.
I guess we have different opinions on this this matter. :)
 
one_raven said:
I am not saying that I have never or will never lie.
If the police were searching for my brother, who was wrongfully accused of murder, I will not tell them, "Yes. He is hiding in my basement, in fact".
That is hardly a "white lie", though, is it - and I feel the greater justice has been served.
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This is actually the perfect example of what i meant. Im glad you would lie here because it would just be wrong to tell the truth. :)

This is probably also why different people have different opinions on when a lie is appropriate. When is greater justice served, people interpret that differently i guess.
 
Enmos said:
"Don't ask me, ask your wife. I'm not her baby-sitter." is deliberately omitting the truth upon being asked.
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It's not omitting the truth at all - it is refusing to answer.
There is quite the difference between pretending you don't know and saying, "None of your damned business, leave me alone and leave me out of your shit".

I wouldn't talk to someone who I woudl fear is violent enough to physically attack his wife - that person is an asshole who is not worth my time.
We would not be on friendly terms.
Even if I knew she was at the store, I would still say, "Don't ask me, ask your wife. I'm not her baby-sitter."
 
Enmos said:
When is greater justice served, people interpret that differently i guess.
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They absolutely do.

More often than not, they are lying to themselves and being selfish. :)
Again, refer back to the post I agreed with.
 
one_raven said:
It's not omitting the truth at all - it is refusing to answer.
There is quite the difference between pretending you don't know and saying, "None of your damned business, leave me alone and leave me out of your shit".

I wouldn't talk to someone who I woudl fear is violent enough to physically attack his wife - that person is an asshole who is not worth my time.
We would not be on friendly terms.
Even if I knew she was at the store, I would still say, "Don't ask me, ask your wife. I'm not her baby-sitter."
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Refusing to answer is omitting the truth.
Pretending you dont know is outright lying.
 
Enmos said:
Hmm

Police: Did you just see a green car come by ?
You: I am not going to say...

This is deliberately omitting the truth upon being asked.
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No, that is refusing to answer, and not being deceptive about it.
It is honestly stating, "I refuse to answer".

Police: Where is your brother?
Me: None of your damned business.
This is refusing to answer, and not being deceptive about it.
It is honestly stating, "I refuse to answer".

On the other hand...

Police: Do you know who shot this man?
Me: No. (though I do not state that, although I don't know him, I saw that the man was driving a blue Mazda 3 with New Jeresy plates that read SFR-23T)

This is deliberately omitting the truth upon being asked.
It is willful deception.
 
about the only white lies I tell are Santa, easter bunny, Tooth Fairy.
If someone asks me if an outfit looks nice, I'm honest. Friends don't let friends wear Daisy Dukes and Tube tops.
 
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