[11월 18일]White Lie: Good or Bad?

White Lie: Good or Bad?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Do you know what a white lie is? A "White lie" is a "harmless" lie; an "unimportant" lie. This is a little difficult to understand, but here is an example: a friend asked me if I liked her dress, I didn´t really like it, but to be polite I said that I liked her dress. That is a white lie. The question is whether these types of lies are good or bad. I could tell a "White lie" and artificially make a person happy or I could tell the truth which may not make him or her happy. We´ll begin with the positive aspects of a "White lie." There are times when people could really use a compliment. Compliments feed a person´s ego. They make people feel good. A "White lie" can sometimes do some good. For example, if a friend asks you if he or she is fat, they obviously wouldn´t want to hear you say that they are. Although "White lies" can do some good, there are good reasons as to why they are not good. "White lies" encourage a person to lie. If you keep lying to people, it becomes a habit. And if lying becomes a habit, you may end up habitually lying without even realizing it. Now I´m sure you would agree that lies are not good. Who would want insincere friends? There are times when "White lies" can be good, but most of the time it´s the best to tell the truth. Remember last week we read about wisdom? To decide when a "White lie" should come into play or when you should tell the truth requires wisdom. The truth is better than fiction. "White lies" can often do some good, nonetheless they are just lies. Telling the truth can hurt others at times. But, it´s usually a better thing to tell a "light" lie. What do you think? Good I think "White lies" are good. Especially when my friends need a little cheering up, it never fails! They aren´t "real" lies anyway. When it comes to things that require truth, I remember to always tell the truth. "White lies" are just about trivial things, things that aren´t very important. I think "White lies" are good, but only if the person has good intentions. Bad "White lies" are just lies; I don´t think they are good. If I kept telling them just to make people feel good, I´m just getting into the habit of lying and I don´t want to do that. I don´t see the good in telling lies to make people feel good. Also, if I got the reputation of telling "White lies" often, who would trust me? I don´t like white lies because they are just lies!