I think the answer to the question is it really does depend on the lie that has been told. For example, telling your children lies about the tooth fairy and Father Christmas are really not bad lies in my opinion. That is all part of growing up. According to a website I found, children are taught to lie from an early age by their parents anyway. For instance they are told to say they like their Christmas presents their grandparents gave them, or they enjoyed staying for tea, when really they hated it. This type of lie protects the feelings of others, and is often referred to as a ‘white lie’. I am of the opinion that this form of lying doesn’t do that much harm in the long, although according to some research it can encourage long term lying when children become adults. The lies that accompany infidelity on the other hand, are usually lies to protect the person who has been unfaithful. I think this form of lying is very wrong as it is deceitful and malicious.
People tell lies every day for one reason or another, some might say that telling lies for a better world is acceptable. Research as referred to in the link below, also shows that some people don’t believe they are telling lies at all, but simply exaggerating the future truth. Psychologists suggest that people who exaggerate the truth are simply demonstrating overconfidence, and genuinely believe that at some point in the future what they have said will be true. This results in them being unable to distinguish a big lie from a small lie. Experts also say that small lies, such as exaggerating academic grades can improve performance and encourage future goals; however, frequent exaggeration can also encourage people to become compulsive liars, aiding in the telling of big lies with ease.
So in conclusion, small lies are not really that bad, as they can assist improved performance. However, they can also encourage people to lie more often and progress to telling more serious lies. Deceitful lies are wrong as they destroy trust, although, it could be said that deceitful lies also protect the person on the receiving end. As the saying goes, “what you don’t know can’t hurt you”. This debate really does depend upon the individual circumstances and issues that are involved.
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