President George Washington, a.k.a Mr. "I cannot tell a lie," had it all wrong. In fact, studies now show that kids who are able to tell lies effectively are more successful when it comes to getting along with others.
See Johnny lie. See Johnny have many friends.
Stretching the truth (i.e. lying) is a natural component of human instinct because it's the easy way out. We all do it, so there is no reason to deny it. Some white lies save relationships, some ease a hectic situation, and others buy us time. The list could go on forever.
A while back, I found an interesting article on the subject of lying. The article discussed a new AP-Ipsos poll to determine how much people really lie. The results were very interesting - and surprising. Almost half of its respondents said lying was never justified. Yet in the same poll, almost every respondent said it was OK to lie in certain situations, such as protecting someone's feelings.
Apparently white lies are an acceptable, even necessary, part of our lives - even though we dislike the idea of lying.
In the AP-Ipsos poll, four in 10 people said it was sometimes OK to exaggerate a story to make it more interesting, and about a third said it was OK to lie about your age. A third also said it was sometimes OK to lie about being sick to take a day off work.
It all depends on the nature of the lie, of course, but in general, white lies can assist the well-mannered in handling some of life's more difficult scenarios with a little more grace. Unike bold-faced lies made for purely selfish reasons, white lies can help you avoid crushing someone's heart - or ego.
With all that said, I've learned it's better to avoid lying and just tell the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, and what you say may not make you popular - but it's the best option of all.
Until next time...
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