Liar Liar!

When is it ok to not tell the truth?  Is there ever a good time?



You never know what you are going to get on Nightline and our conversation about telling the truth was no exception.

Is it ever ok to not tell the truth?

Of course we tell “white lies” all the time.

But just because we tell little lies does that make them ok, I suppose it depends what side of the lie you are on.

Have you ever told a friend they look good in something when they look awful?

Have you ever told someone that the presentation they made was great when it was a bomb?

Of course you have stretched the truth a bit, on occasion, but does that make it right?

Some would say that it is impossible to be 100% truthful and that isn’t a bad thing.

So socially acceptable lies are ok?

But who decides when a lie is acceptable and when it is not?

Maybe we need a liars handbook?

Is it possible that we head down a slippery slope when we don’t have a definition of what is acceptable and not acceptable as far as telling the truth is concerned?

And are there cultural issues to consider?

Excuses, excuses, excuses... that is what we are faced with when we talk about when we should and when we can get away with telling a lie.

Lets face it, if you start down the path of a liar you are eventually going to get caught out and you are going to lose the trust of those you interact with.

Here is an enlightening conversation with a reformed liar, but this guys works with someone who is pathological when it comes to deviations from the truth!

What is your take? How do we draw the line between telling the truth and not telling the truth?