Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Are Lies Morally Wrong?

I think there are certain instances where lying is alright.

For instance, if you're in danger of crushing someone's spirit, a little white lie is ok.

I believe that you can ruin someone's trust in you, though, so it's much better to tell the truth.

My question for the class:

Have you ever told a lie that jeopardized your relationship with someone? If so (and if you wish to answer), what was their relation to you and do you regret whatever lie you told?

4 comments:

  1. I have always had trouble trying to decide when to tell the truth and when to lie to my students. Mainly about my past, but also about my opinions. I have found that telling the truth about my past is usually the better choice, which is why I'm open about my poor grades in high school and the fact that I smoked cigarettes for 15 years, but I still worry that these facts make me a bad example. I know, in fact, that my stories about my own poor high school record have served as an excuse for some students to continue doing poorly in school -- because Humphrey failed classes, and he turned out fine. So I have lied about these and other things to some classes, and it always makes me feel wrong. Like I'm being disrespectful, assuming that the students can't handle the truth, can't live their own lives regardless of what I may have done.
    As for my opinions, this generally comes when students ask me if I like them or not. See, the students I like can generally tell that I like them from my behavior; the ones who have to ask are usually the ones I don't like. They don't want to hear the truth, but they are quite understandably confused because I have deceived them by not acting towards them with my true feelings of dislike. So their foolish question is my fault, as is my usually dishonest answer. Well, semi-honest -- I usually say that there have been very few students I have actively disliked (which is true) and that I am generally able to separate my feelings for people as students from my feelings for them as people. I like people who slack, but I hate that they slack.

    That's all I got. I'm generally pretty honest. I lied to my parents a lot, but I don't want to talk about those.

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  2. yes i have..
    my relationship was my ex. and now that i look back on it no, i honestly dont regret it.

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  3. Yes, I lied to my friend... For doing something horrible. I don't regret lying but I do regret doing the horrible thing... D:

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  4. No I cant really say that I have. Any lie that is that big would really need be a big deal or that person really touchy

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