What's Your View of Lying?

by minimus 41 Replies latest jw friends

  • Panda
    Panda


    I've read the book ON BULLSHIT It's interesting but I needed to have a dictionary at hand. Another book I'd recommend along these lines is C.Sagan's Demon haunted World Both of these books really help define the crap that makes people accept unreal statements as proven fact. There was also a recent article in the Washington Post about workers in Chinese factories. They cannot imagine why Americans buy such useless junk that they produce (salad shooters and that stuff). bullshit is even worse than lying because it gets cloaked in psuedo science with slick phrasing and unreal claims, but the victims think --- well they said it on TV so it must be real.

    Lying. Nobody likes to be lied to, ever. I'm not a good liar because I end up laughing. I admit though that I've tried to lie. Now I am a good enough friend to say I don't like an outfit on a person... but more often I'm saying how terriffic someone looks.

    My mother had a saying " You can never trust a liar but you can always trust a thief because you always know what a thief will do."

  • jimakazi
    jimakazi

    There is a deepeche mode song called "the policy of truth" which is about how a rigerous application of the truth can really screw things up. I can sort of identify with this like when the elders asked me "have you had sexual relations with your fiance?" I could have lied and said "no, just kissing - you know the normal stuff", instead I stupidly said "yes.

  • Sad emo
    Sad emo
    My best friend has horrible taste in clothes. She's 35 and dresses like she's in the Golden Girls...she asks how do you like my new (insert ugly article of clothing here) and I will say...It's very nice but I like your (less ugly piece of clothing ) better.

    Is that lying?

    This is what I call being tactful rather than lying - you don't tell her it looks great, the plus point is that if she respects your opinion she'll gradually start getting clothes that do suit her. Hope that makes sense!

    Wish I had friends like you.

  • LouBelle
    LouBelle

    I hate being lied too therefore I try not lie. If it was to protect my family - sure I'd lie, but in general every day living it truly pisses me off.

  • minimus
    minimus

    Most people lie because they HAVE to. Some only tell the truth because they have to. That's my definition of a "liar".

  • shera
    shera

    I hate being lied to! OH,it ticks me off....lol

    For myself lying...naaaw,I have no reason too.If I don't want to tell something,my buisness is all mine! I know I have lied growing up,stuff like that.

  • daystar
    daystar

    Great response Nathan Satan! It was fun to see that author on the Daily Show with John Stewart.

    I place no moral obligation on myself or others not to lie. However, one would find a great deal of power in learning to speak, regardless of consequences, only truth.

    In fact, I find little value in considerations of what is false and what is true. It has been said, regardless of ones place in life, their knowledge, etc., that 90% of all one believes to be true is, in fact, not. Humanity's perception of reality is in constant flux. Today we understand the earth to be spherical. Not too long ago, the prevailing conception was that it was flat. And this notion was held by many of the foremost thinkers of the time.

    I speak what I believe to be true, regardless. When a person comes to rely on what you say to be truth, they trust. When a person trusts, they come to rely further. This suits my purposes nicely.

  • LittleToe
    LittleToe

    LOL @ Brooke!

    So, Min - do you tell lies?

  • minimus
    minimus

    You wouldn't believe me if I told ya.

  • sonnyboy
    sonnyboy

    Everyone lies now and then.

    "Do I look fat today?" "Of course not, Dear." (cough)

    "What do you think of my new outfit?" "That's nice." (gag)

    "Awww, what a cute baby." (barf)

    If we didn't lie now and then, we'd offend too many people.

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