Many have heard the phrase, “honesty is the best policy.” And of course, it is good to tell the truth, but is that always the best thing to do?
Lying has its own pros and cons, and we have all lied before, whether it was for good, bad, or both.
Honesty may hurt someone, depending on the circumstance.
Everyone feels differently about this, but for me, I feel like a little white lie here and there is okay to protect someone rather than hurt their feelings.
“Lying can hurt someone, but it can also hurt someone when the truth is told to them,” Emma Moore said.
It is also okay and a good thing in some cases if you lie to protect yourself with private information or in a dangerous situation.
“It may be okay to lie under some circumstances; those circumstances may include if you are keeping a surprise or secret from someone or if you need to get away from a heated, even dangerous situation,” Max Meloche said.
If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, you always do what is best for you in that situation. This may mean lying.
It is not okay to lie if it is going to have more negative effects than positive. If you are doing something illegal and get caught, a lot of people’s first instincts are to lie. This is an example of something it is not okay to lie about because it can be dangerous and get you in more trouble than it would be to tell the truth.
“It is not okay to lie when it is hurting someone, or if you are going to yourself or even others in any way, or if you are doing something illegal.
Lying can also hurt someone more than the truth if they find out you are lying.
“Lying can hurt someone in many ways. It can get their hopes up or really let them down. It will hurt if they find out you were lying to them through someone else as well,” Meloche said.
“Lying can protect them in case it is a very serious, important situation,” Moore said.
On the other hand, lying can protect someone. It can protect their feelings or even them as a whole person mentally and physically.
If you need to get out of something without hurting someone’s feelings, lying seems like it would be a good option, as long as it is not a serious lie and will not get you in trouble.
Personally, I have done this before because I freak out a lot and change my mind about plans, but I am never lying to hurt someone. It is always to protect my friends’ feelings and to try to make me seem like I am not a bad friend.
“Lying may be a good way to protect someone from embarrassment, an awkward situation, or to have others think highly of the one telling the lie,” Meloche said. “Lying can protect someone, but only for so long. At some point, I feel that person will find out they are or were being lied to.”
Lying can hurt, but at the same time, lying can protect someone. It may be better to lie in the heat of the moment and explain later because, at specific times, honesty may actually hurt more.