Derivated from here

A lie protecting yourself? A lie protecting someone other? A lie making your live easier? A lie to preserve your honor?
Discuss ;)

I personally don't think there is such a thing as a good lie (coming from a Christian perspective, Satan being the father of lies). Though lying to protect someone from harm is hard to go against I still believe lying on any basis is wrong. In most cases, people just lie because their ego or the ego of others are affected, I think people just take themselves way too seriously or in some way think they are more worthy than others (that's why people take offense because they are prideful/emotional in what they value/believe in).

I don't believe people should lie at all. It's dishonest and usually the truth is found out later and then it becomes devastating to that person. People do it because they "think" they're protecting someone but once again, in the end, it comes out in the open and is more harmful than it would've been if it was first told. Then again, there's the difference between not saying anything and telling a lie. Saying nothing isn't lying (at least in my mind). But even to lie, even a small white one can turn into the snowball effect that you didn't anticipate. You have to keep lying to cover up that one particular lie. Then it becomes a pack of lies that's hard to keep up with and you gotta remember who you lied to about what exactly. It gets confusing and usually you end up getting busted anyways and you're back at square one.

Sometimes people let things slip by accident without realizing it. It's a lie but in an oxymoron-sense, it's an innocent lie. But if you realize it, it should be corrected. Say for instance as an example: I tell a friend in another state that I have the latest dvd season one of... Lost. (Don't ask me.) That friend tells a friend down here. The friend down here wants to come over and watch it. Now you're screwed because you locked yourself into a corner and HAVE to buy that season or admit you lied. So that's two people you've lied to in a way.

#876039

People do it because they "think" they're protecting someone but once again, in the end, it comes out in the open and is more harmful than it would've been if it was first told.

Actually I only can partly agree with you, Mimilu. I think this is to general. It depends on the case if telling a lie in order to proctect someone/something is wrong or right. Eventually the purpose of your lie is deciding.
Example: Imagine you want to prepare a present for a friend and therefore you go to the shopping centre. And the following day he asks you where you were. [I know it is a stupid example but couldn´t think of another. Forgive me]

So should you tell him the truth and reveal that you´re wanna surprise him? Of course NO! In this case I wouldn´t say it is a bad thing to lie.

By the way, studies show that people are lieing about 200 times a day|

There is no good lie in general
even white lies are bad
but we're only human and we do lie

I believe you should always... "Tell the truth even if it leads to your death..."-Liam Neason ( Godfree Baron of Iblin " Kingdom of Heaven")

I think there are people who have been raised by parents and relatives who lie and they actually believe that the lie they tell is the truth. In other words, they don't know that lying is wrong or that it is even a lie, that is just how they operate. I also believe that there are people who are mentally ill and that when they lie, they don't even know they are doing it. And yes, Mimilu you are right, to lie and then try to cover it up takes more lies - and a whole lot of energy that could have been spent on positive, productive things and ideas.

Lying is a strange thing, because the truth is just as easy to tell, but liars won't do the truth because that is not their habit, or the way they have learned to operate. Remember, a person who lies has gotten by with it, and even been rewarded for it, otherwise they would not continue to lie. And, if they have done that for so long, even when someone "calls their bluff " they know how to deal with it and continue to lie. I had someone on my staff who was a compulsive liar, could look you straight in the eye and lie, and it was a mess for the whole organization to deal with. I still honestly believe she didn't know she was doing it, it was such a common occurrence for her. She was a pathetic individual.

Maybe I'm not answering the question directly, but its so easy just to say lying is bad and you should never lie. I mean, its so much in the nature of humans that its pretty much unavoidable to lie, whether its good or bad. How many people do you know have never told a lie? Probably no one eh? I think its just when someone is psychologically pushed onto the "defensive", one of the ways to get themselves out is to lie. The only difference between people is the degree of this.

I'll admit that I generally dislike it when people feel like they have to lie to "protect" me, but people generally have different reactions depending on the severity of the lie. People always say that they prefer to hear the truth, when in reality, they can't take the truth at all and fly off the handle.

Everyone tells white lies: say your boss asks you how you are today. You just pulled an all nighter for school, got stuck in traffic in the morning, forgot your wallet, etc. and am just having a bad all-round start to your day. Are you say to your boss "yeah, my life sucks, I can't catch a break, the day's been terrible, etc."? I doubt it. Most people will smile calmly and say "oh, it's going great, how is yours?"

That's also "lying" because you're not disclosing your true feelings, but you'd probably get fired if you spaz out on your boss daily.

I think no lie is good.. every lie will result to trouble eventually.
Nothing comes out of a lie except trouble..one lie creates more lies... but, i guess lies are also important in this world.Imagine life without lies, that would be boring

I generally try to tell the truth as much as possible, and then there are times where you just can't reveal the truth. It really depends on the topic, if it's nothing important then in some of those cases I really wouldn't care if I lied or not. Looking at it from the other person's perspective, if I asked some unimportant question for fun's sake for example I could care less if they lied about it. If the topic is really important it's best not to lie. If the truth hurts I almost always will tell it because that's a part of how I am - in a lot of cases I'm blunt and straightforward, if I think I need to justify my views then I will, but my answers are usually blunt to begin with. hat gets carried over into "telling the truth", although if it hurts someone's feelings for example, which I rarely come across, I guess I could sugarcoat it, like if it's telling a kid for example that Santa doesn't exist...lol. If I ever have kids that's one situation where I'd have to tell the truth, at some point at least.

I think lying is bad no matter what the situation is because the truth is always revealed and if you lie it'll only get worse. o_o Unless if it's for a surprise birthday party or something.

Lying is already bad no matter what the damn reason is. The fact is that you've lied, just that.

Weren't good lies called "white lies"?
I think they help sometimes, I mean; truth can sometimes destroy more than a lie. But there is a difference between being honest and making white lies sometimes and of course, cheating and lying.

would you be able to tell your grandma that her cake tasted like feet when she took all morning to bake it just for you?

think about grandma

Well a good lie is one where you don't get caught! :D duh!! But there are good reasons for lies although lying it's self is wrong no no not good at all. so if you are planing a surprise birthday party for someone and they ask you are you planing a surprise party don't say no! say I can't tell you that.To say I don't know is a blatant lie! I think things go smother if the truth is out there you get more respect if you are an honest person. Now if I know Americas secrets and some one tries to beat them outa me is playing dumb to protect my country lying? Can keeping a secret be categorized as lying?