To Lie or Not to Lie, That is the Question “He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it easier to do it a second and a third time till at length becomes habitual.” -Thomas Jefferson. Lies- they have been around for as long as we can remember. Lying spreads like wildfire, it is possible at this very second that someone is telling a lie. People use it for many different reasons, but they are not always good. Millions are conflicted whether or not lying should be accepted in everyday life. In a certain situation, lying is acceptable, when it is used to protect another’s feelings or in a life or death situation; however, in other people’s eyes lying can have a huge negative impact on a person’s character.
If there is a matter of life …show more content…
This clearly establishes that there are times when a lie is, not only justified, but is essential for the safety of a human life. By using the story of Anne Frank, Blanton gives the perfect example of how extremely crucial and rare the situation has to be for lying to be acceptable. Another example is in Article 4, “It’s the Truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying,” the author states “Not only is lying justified, it is sometimes a moral duty,” (NBC.com). This supports that mankind has a moral duty to protect each other in a life or death situation and a lie can actually be a moral obligation. It also illustrates that if telling a lie is going to save an individual from physical harm or save their life, a person almost has so choice but to consider lying as the only right choice. Therefore, it is the ethical choice to lie if it can spare another one’s …show more content…
For example, in “Rejecting All Lies: Immanuel Kant”, author Sissela Bok writes that lying “harms the liar himself, by destroying his human dignity and making him more worthless even than a small thing.” This quote demonstrates how serious lying is and how the impact of lying can be so negative that it destroys a person’s character and integrity. Although, Kant’s statement is very severe, it expresses how much damage can be caused when a person chooses to lie. He expresses that it’s really nothing to take lightly because of its effect on the dignity of a person. In the article “Teens Do their Share of Lying” by Loretta Ragsdell, teen named Tim is interviewed and he says “If you get caught in a lie, tell another one, and then tell another one to cover that one up, but keep it simple. You keep it simple so you can recap it in your head and keep your story straight.” The statement by this teen proves how lying can harm a person’s character because the person becomes addicted to lying, gets out of control to the point that he has to recap his lies to keep them straight. In this case, this out of control lying puts the person’s character in a bad light and has no positive effect. It hurts the person’s integrity and others will soon realize the dishonest person
If there is a matter of life …show more content…
This clearly establishes that there are times when a lie is, not only justified, but is essential for the safety of a human life. By using the story of Anne Frank, Blanton gives the perfect example of how extremely crucial and rare the situation has to be for lying to be acceptable. Another example is in Article 4, “It’s the Truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying,” the author states “Not only is lying justified, it is sometimes a moral duty,” (NBC.com). This supports that mankind has a moral duty to protect each other in a life or death situation and a lie can actually be a moral obligation. It also illustrates that if telling a lie is going to save an individual from physical harm or save their life, a person almost has so choice but to consider lying as the only right choice. Therefore, it is the ethical choice to lie if it can spare another one’s …show more content…
For example, in “Rejecting All Lies: Immanuel Kant”, author Sissela Bok writes that lying “harms the liar himself, by destroying his human dignity and making him more worthless even than a small thing.” This quote demonstrates how serious lying is and how the impact of lying can be so negative that it destroys a person’s character and integrity. Although, Kant’s statement is very severe, it expresses how much damage can be caused when a person chooses to lie. He expresses that it’s really nothing to take lightly because of its effect on the dignity of a person. In the article “Teens Do their Share of Lying” by Loretta Ragsdell, teen named Tim is interviewed and he says “If you get caught in a lie, tell another one, and then tell another one to cover that one up, but keep it simple. You keep it simple so you can recap it in your head and keep your story straight.” The statement by this teen proves how lying can harm a person’s character because the person becomes addicted to lying, gets out of control to the point that he has to recap his lies to keep them straight. In this case, this out of control lying puts the person’s character in a bad light and has no positive effect. It hurts the person’s integrity and others will soon realize the dishonest person