White Lies

The power of a lie arises from the art of getting not only others to believe it, but to convince yourself so the ruse sticks. Therein lies the danger, when one starts believing ones own lies. It may start with the white lie, but the thread of lie demands compounded half-truths to sustain it and at some point a suspension of reality.

The power of a lie arises from the art of getting not only others to believe it, but to convince yourself so the ruse sticks. Therein lies the danger, when one starts believing ones own lies. It may start with the white lie, but the thread of lie demands compounded half-truths to sustain it and at some point a suspension of reality. Originally Posted by Sa_artman

Or of course the risk of losing track of what the lie was and then being caught in it.

The problem we run into is over-elevating the "wrongness" of telling a truth that hurts someone's feelings.

Sometimes, hurting someone's feelings in the short-term improves their wellbeing for the long-term.

Failing to point something out can deny them an opportunity for self-improvement. Originally Posted by Laurentius

True that!

I am NOT saying that we should be gratuitously brutal with each other. Usually, people who call themselves "brutally frank" are using frankness as an excuse to justify needless brutality with a one-sided "truth." Originally Posted by Laurentius

But, yes, one does need to avoid being unnecessarily hurtful.

I'm reminded of an old joke that goes something like this:

A woman asks her husband if her new dress makes her look fat.

"No, honey", he replies, hoping to insure domestic tranquillity.

"Are you sure?", she asks. "I really want to know."

"No honey", the man replies. "That dress does not make you look fat." After a brief pause, and in an unfortunate burst of candor, he continues, "Your excess fat is what makes you look fat."

The coroner's initial report indicated that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head.

Or of course the risk of losing track of what the lie was and then being caught in it. Originally Posted by discreetgent

I'm sure quite a few of us could write a few chapters on that.

there is an art to telling the truth in ways that do not hurt...

there is an art to telling the truth in ways that do not hurt... Originally Posted by nevergaveitathought

So if by telling a lie -- even a real whopper -- to prevent someone from detonating a nuke in Dallas, am I being a horrible person? Maybe I would be a better person and more at peace with myself if I let them get vaporized? Originally Posted by Laurentius

So, what is the artful way for this one? Appeal to his humanity?

I thought you were asking a question, not providing an answer. Misunderstanding. Originally Posted by Camille

It's all good
I was getting around to doing both.

I do not think all lies are bad wuz what I were trying to work around to.

Lying to kids about Santa, nobody thinks twice about, lying to save your ass from extermination is another , tain't no telling how many Jews had to navigate around the truth 'bout their religion. I betcha ya if we all stick our heads together we can come up with a chit pile of good lies! PJ needs to start another thread on the positive effects on white lies.

Very well said

C x Originally Posted by Camille

Agreed, dat boy do have a way with words!

there is an art to telling the truth in ways that do not hurt... Originally Posted by nevergaveitathought

Yea its called white lies!

Yea its called white lies! Originally Posted by WTF

A final thought...if you are going to lie, white or otherwise, do it well...

Nothing feels worse than being lied to poorly

A final thought...if you are going to lie, white or otherwise, do it well...

Nothing feels worse than being lied to poorly Originally Posted by atlcomedy

Absolutely! If you're going that route...for the love of God...put some effort into it!!

A final thought...if you are going to lie, white or otherwise, do it well...

Nothing feels worse than being lied to poorly Originally Posted by atlcomedy

Absolutely! If you're going that route...for the love of God...put some effort into it!! Originally Posted by Sisyphus

Wrong thread you two. This is the white lies thread, not the fake orgasms thread







You two can't expect an Oscar performance from every CL chick you see!

One of Kipling's Maxims of Hafiz...

If She have spoken a word, remember thy lips are sealed,
And the Brand of the Dog is upon him by whom is the secret revealed.

If She have written a letter, delay not an instant, but burn it.
Tear it to pieces, O Fool, and the wind to her mate shall return it!

If there be trouble to Herward, and a lie of the blackest can clear,
Lie, while thy lips can move or a man is alive to hear.

So, what is the artful way for this one? Appeal to his humanity? Originally Posted by Rudyard K

maybe he just needs some love

Can the truth for one be a lie to another?

I can understand a lie told out of compassion. I can even respect a lie told for survival in certain situations they can be necessary evil. What I will never understand are the lies people tell others to build themselves up.

Yesterday I took Ed to the beach, and we met an 17 year old Husky in the parking lot.The Husky's father started to tell me that his dog had run in the 2008 IIditarod .I was already excited that a dog Ed's size could even make it to 17, because Ed is 8 and that gives me hope for us, but now I am starting to do the math, and I realize that there is no way in hell that a 15 year old arthritic dog ran in, and completed a 1150 mile race pulling a sled

The poor dog could barely walk, and while this guy went on about how he also managed to take down a Moose last year I noticed that the dog did not even have a blanket to rest on. That is when I realized that chances are the dog is not really 17 either, and is more than likely Ed's age, and in poor shape because the dogs father had never heard of Gyclosamine for dogs.We did put a blanket in our car just in case we run into him again.

Oh well me and Ed are off to the beach now. He has to practice. I plan on entering him in the 2016 Iditarod i