Morality today, gone tomorrow

Do you believe that people lie to make their world a ‘better’ place?

  • Yes

  • No

  • No Comment

  • Reported

Results are only viewable after voting.
Of course people do.

It's not good in my opinion though. Lies distort reality. If something really is good no need to try and put lipstick on the "pig".
 
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
 
Readsalot said:
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
Click to expand...
Need to revisit the classics.
 
I have come across people who are dishonest when they have no reason to be dishonest, it is like they had to instinctively distort the truth even when their actions were absolute.
 
Fulcrum29 said:
I have come across people who are dishonest when they have no reason to be dishonest, it is like they had to instinctively distort the truth even when their actions were absolute.
Click to expand...
Is that your opinion or theirs
 
I’m okay with white lies for things I don’t really care about.

At work:
“Yes you’re doing a good job and are an important part of the team”

= it’s too much trouble to find a replacement

At home:
“Yes, I vacuumed”

= we both know you can’t tell if I vacuumed or not
 
Pak Fa Fui said:
Is that your opinion or theirs
Click to expand...

As a witness, it is an experienced opinion. I am no saint either, BTW. You know,

9ae7a8cc40b6263029905419ec6192e3.png


but this isn't why I started this thread.
 
3WA said:
I’m okay with white lies for things I don’t really care about.

At work:
“Yes you’re doing a good job and are an important part of the team”

= it’s too much trouble to find a replacement

At home:
“Yes, I vacuumed”

= we both know you can’t tell if I vacuumed or not
Click to expand...
You sound like a corporate drone. I love it :love:
 
It is not whether you lie or not, it is the outcome.

You can lie for somebody's benefit as well as yours, sometimes a lie is enough to plant a little seed of positivity.

Example, client gives a lot of negative feedback regarding a staff member. I know he is depressed and discouraged, I spin it so that we acknowledge we can see his growth and that he is trying. He's not, but giving him something positive at work seems like it's been good enough for him to make him put more effort since he thinks he is being rewarded. Soon those little lies may become actual truths.

Also depends how you break the truth to somebody, you can do it gently or in such a way that is has a negative effect. Some people like blunt honesty, others don't.
 
Gyre said:
It is not whether you lie or not, it is the outcome.

You can lie for somebody's benefit as well as yours, sometimes a lie is enough to plant a little seed of positivity.

Example, client gives a lot of negative feedback regarding a staff member. I know he is depressed and discouraged, I spin it so that we acknowledge we can see his growth and that he is trying. He's not, but giving him something positive at work seems like it's been good enough for him to make him put more effort since he thinks he is being rewarded. Soon those little lies may become actual truths.

Also depends how you break the truth to somebody, you can do it gently or in such a way that is has a negative effect. Some people like blunt honesty, others don't.
Click to expand...
You lie to cover up another lie then another, then it snowballs
Why lie in the first place, it will always come back to bite you
 
Pak Fa Fui said:
You lie to cover up another lie then another, then it snowballs
Why lie in the first place, it will always come back to bite you
Click to expand...

There are lies with good intentions and lies for selfish reasons. Me telling a client that she isn't irritating me is for her benefit and for mine, I don't make her sad and I keep a happy customer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X