Lying is a technique that people use in everyday interactions. People lie for various reasons. Philosophy professor Robert C. Solomon wrote, “[n]ot all untruths are malicious. Telling the truth can complicate or destroy social relationships.” When honesty would be cruel, deception becomes not a vice, but a social virtue.” Should we agree with Solomon? Do we also view lying as a technique to protect others? When is it okay to lie and not to lie?
Lying is a technique that people use in everyday interactions. People lie for various reasons.
Philosophy professor Robert C. Solomon wrote, “[n]ot all untruths are malicious. Telling the truth can complicate or destroy social relationships.” When honesty would be cruel, deception becomes not a vice, but a social virtue.”
Should we agree with Solomon? Do we also view lying as a technique to protect others? When is it okay to lie and not to lie?
When a mother comforts a child when the child falls off a horse or while riding a bike, by saying that it’s not a big deal and the mother tells the kid to not look at the bruise site so that the kid might believe that it's not that big of a bruise and it eventually becomes alright with dealing with the wounds even though it might be a big scab. Similarly, doctors comfort children by saying that it’s nothing to be afraid of and that they are big enough to handle the pain and that they are not going through something bad when it might even be a serious issue. This is to make sure the kid doesn’t worry about it too much and stress about it rather be carefree and lite. This is softening the blow basically.
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