What are your guys thoughts on this. Is it ever ok to lie? Sometimes, if so then when? Or is it never.
Can anyone make a general statement when its ok to lie and when its not?
I usually dont get myself in situations where I would have to lie.....but I dont have a reason to lie about stuff and try to tell the truth....and if im in a situation that I have no other choice but to lie....I take the old politician/athlete approach and just cut around the questions thats being asked
but lets face it everyone has lied at some point in there lives.....
I think the main time it is appropriate to lie is when you are protecting someones mental or physical well being.
This would be things like telling your mom that her new haircut looks nice even though it looks like garbage. Or telling a disgruntled bridge jumper that they have plenty of reasons to live even if they really don't
Why is it wrong? Give me a mature answer. Not a one liner.
I told you. If it hurts someone. If you take any action that inflicts an undesired consequence on another or yourself, then it's considered morally reprehensible.
An argument can be made that deliberately withholding the truth from someone is wrong, no matter the intent. I don't personally believe that, but again, it's an possible argument.
I told you. If it hurts someone. If you take any action that inflicts an undesired consequence on another or yourself, then it's considered morally reprehensible.
An argument can be made that deliberately withholding the truth from someone is wrong, no matter the intent. I don't personally believe that, but again, it's an possible argument.
"Considered morally reprehensible."
Considered. So who has the authority to tell me what you consider to be wrong is actually wrong?
The OP asked us personally if it is morally wrong. I said no. Tell me why just because you and others think it is, I should change my opinion. Just because, right?
Whether you think something is right or wrong should be a personal matter, not something society has clearly shoved up your ass.
I think the main time it is appropriate to lie is when you are protecting someones mental or physical well being.
This would be things like telling your mom that her new haircut looks nice even though it looks like garbage. Or telling a disgruntled bridge jumper that they have plenty of reasons to live even if they really don't
So what if your mom tried on a new dress for a party and asked for your opinion on if it looks nice or not. If you lie, you protect her feelings from getting hurt like you mentioned. However, you know that if she takes that to a party everyone will laugh behind her back. So do you lie and not hurt her feelings?
Nobody I suppose. Then again, you clearly have limits. Would you commit murder? Instrument a genocide? Abolish the entire earth?
I'm going to go ahead and say that you wouldn't do... at least one of those things. Why?
I wouldn't do it because it wouldn't make me feel good. It's simply a matter of feeling good or bad.
When you add some stupid social construct such as morals into the equation, things get silly. Simply because when you ask if something is morally right or wrong, you are implying that everyone has the same values. Aby discussion about morality is stupid.
Hence, why all that truly matter is whether you feel good about what you're doing. If something doesn't feel right to you, then don't do it. It's a personal choice. Let's be honest we do everything to make ourselves feel good or as good as possible. Even when we sacrafice ourselves in some way, it's because we know it's a good deed. But that's a personal choice. There's not some moral compass that everyone carries around that tells us what we should do. If that was the case life would be a lot simpler.
If you have no remorse for knowingly hurting someone through lies or deceit, then thats a clear reflection of who you are and your character. And if you cant see that hurting people is wrong, then honestly you are a very selfish person.
Im not going to bring up morals, because everyone has a different code of morals. And what one person thinks is not entirely true for another. I just think if you are fine with lying and hurting others then you really dont give a rats ass about others and are only concerned with your own well being. Is that morally wrong? Not necessarily but it shows a lack of character
So what if your mom tried on a new dress for a party and asked for your opinion on if it looks nice or not. If you lie, you protect her feelings from getting hurt like you mentioned. However, you know that if she takes that to a party everyone will laugh behind her back. So do you lie and not hurt her feelings?
I would probably lie to not hurt her feelings, and prevent her from getting hurt at the party. My response would be something along the lines of "Sure mom that dress is pretty nice, but I like the one that one you bought a few months ago a lot more."
If you have no remorse for knowingly hurting someone through lies or deceit, then thats a clear reflection of who you are and your character. And if you cant see that hurting people is wrong, then honestly you are a very selfish person.
Im not going to bring up morals, because everyone has a different code of morals. And what one person thinks is not entirely true for another. I just think if you are fine with lying and hurting others then you really dont give a rats ass about others and are only concerned with your own well being. Is that morally wrong? Not necessarily but it shows a lack of character
I wouldn't do it because it wouldn't make me feel good.
You're avoiding the question with a vague generalization. Why wouldn't it make you feel good? What about those horrendous acts would make you feel like ****?
I understand ethics as a flexible and varying concept according to who you ask. I disagree that there aren't at least certain universal conclusions one can come to regarding "morals".
The second part of your post is an entirely different discussion. But you are wrong, selfless acts are indeed possible - those based entirely on instinct and nothing else.
Eh, I don't necessarily agree with calling everybody who forsakes my moral code an *******. I just think it's possible to create a universal code of ethics that everybody should live by, even if it's inconceivable to do so.
You're avoiding the question with a vague generalization. Why wouldn't it make you feel good? What about those horrendous acts would make you feel like ****?
I understand ethics as a flexible and varying concept according to who you ask. I disagree that there aren't at least certain universal conclusions one can come to regarding "morals".
The second part of your post is an entirely different discussion. But you are wrong, selfless acts are indeed possible - those based entirely on instinct and nothing else.
It wouldn't make me feel good because my character won't allow it to. At least not withiut a certain amount of environmental influence. What about these acts would make me feel bad? Definitely not hearing about them. Perhaps seeing or smelling them would. Just an assumption because of never witnessed a genocide with my own eyes.
There are no universal conclusions. People feel good or bad about certain things to different extents. Simple as that. Opening your eyes to the real world should allow you to come to this conclusion easily.
Selfless acts as I put it are impossible. No one can do something entirely against their natural order. I'm suprised you even brought this issue up considering the likelyhood of you having experience in this matter is 0%.
Re: Is it morally correct to lie?
