Lying is an interesting thing- from a really young age, the majority of people I've met have had the same experience of lying to get out of stuff, or trying to lie to get something, or any number of reasons. Once the human mind wraps itself around this idea that we can manipulate other people using what we say or don't say, I think at that point we decide to try to use it to our advantage. Some people never fall out of this pattern- others merely "grow out of it", and realize that the truth tends to make being sociable easier and more acceptable.
But the morality of lying probably doesn't need to be explained. We generally value the truth, and lying to somebody to manipulate them is wrong. But why do we insist that lying is such a terrible thing to do most of the time, and yet something acceptable to do at others times? We've talked a lot about using our comprehension of circumstances to decide what is best at the time- that we should lie when we know it could save someone's life, for instance- but how often is that the case? It's an odd sort of slippery slope, and I wonder how people who have compulsive instincts to lie about things feel. Perhaps they're a big part of the problem, in that we can excuse ourselves or others for lying because "we / they can't help it".
I guess my point is that I can't really ever tell when its a good time to lie to somebody and to tell them the truth in my own life. I bat around the idea that the truth is extremely important, and being honest with people is vital. At the same time, some things should be left alone, like letting someone believe a lie and letting them find out for themselves (as long as it isn't hurting them right now to believe it), because the truth can be cruel sometimes. Sparing people from a harsh reality can give them hope or faith, and destroying that can be a terrible detriment to their faith and personal well being, at least emotionally.
Agree or disagree, that's what I think about lying for the most part. What're your thoughts? Is it okay to spare someone a harsh reality, or is honesty so important that the truth takes precedent over their hope or faith?
-Brian C. Rodgers.
I honesty think in the saying "the truth will set you free." No matter how hard it is to tell someone the truth I think it's the best solution to a situation other than telling a lie. When you lie you have to tell a lie to cover up the lie you just told and then you have a on going cycle of lies when you could have just told the truth from the start.
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of the difference between Kant and Stuart Mill's philosophies here. Kant would insist that it is never ethically correct to lie because lying in any situation cannot be asserted to be universally correct. Mill would say that moral rightness of lying has to be assessed in terms of what might create either the greatest net gain in well-being or minimize the amount of harm done.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I can't sympathize with Kant's position. It seems that morality ultimately breaks down to facts about well being, and though we may not be able to know these facts for certain, we must do our best to determine the best course of action with our limited knowledge. Lying then, is at worst a moral evil and at best a tool for good.
Of course, there is a spectrum of lies that have consequence. Small, white lies that are no discernable consequence have virtually no moral weight, whereas lies that can affect others must be considered carefully. Sparing someone a harsh reality can only be considered a moral good if it would minimize harm. For example, an underweight individual with an eating disorder should probably not be told that they look as if they've gained weight, even if they actually do. The harm that might come from that trigger is of far greater concern than a little white lie.
I agree with Payton's post. I think that sparing someone a harsh reality could be considered good if it minimized harm. I feel like the other side of that coin is; is it my responsibility to spare someone a harsh reality? Or is it up to them to discover it on their own? For example, if I believed in that form of thought, it's not my problem if someone with an eating disorder spirals downward because of a "fat" comment. It shouldn't be a judge of my character. Good thing my mind doesn't work that way. I think it would be morally wrong to make a comment like that, but some people don't think that way. Lying to minimize harm could be argued either way.
ReplyDeleteAs Polk said above a telling lie a person always has to have another lie to cover up the first lie, and more lies and eventually it becomes a vicious cycle of lies. Sadly sometimes its much easier to lie to someone and make them feel better, but the truth is HARD. The truth is not always hard but majority of the times its safe to say if something is having to be questioning given you the opportunity to lie its probably a little difficult. But should we let people live in denial because in some cases it might the difference between someone being depressed and someone being truly happy, I guess it depends on the situation. Will the truth set you free? Well in some cases the truth can set you free, if you have done something wrong an its bearing on your soul than it will probably feel like the truth has set you free. Also the truth could still cause pain. I guess at the end of the day it really just depends on the situation. Pertaining to catfish the truth was only sadly disappointing.
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