For Lies

Should lying be acceptable in different situations? The answer is yes. No one on earth can say that he or she has never lied before. The truth is, everyone lies. However, some lies are spiteful and the others are well meaning. There are lies called white lies – lies with good motivations. These are the lies that will neither insult the civilization, nor ruin our humanity. White lies are powerful and even beautiful – we make small lies for happiness and hopes of others – those lies became a kind of understanding, esteem, and tolerant.

First and foremost, white lies came from good motivations. We make white lies for the benefits of others. For example, on your mother’s fiftieth birthday, she asks you if she looks older than the year before. What should you answer? “Of course you look older than last year – that is the logic – people get older every year, no exception of you!” or “Oh, mom. You look even younger than last year! Happy Birthday to my gorgeous forever-young mother.” Everyone who loves his or her mother would probably choose the second one over the first one. Why? Because truth is always hurtful; white lies are essential to make our lives more lovable. White lies are a way of thinking for others’ good. Isn’t it great to make the one you love and care happy by not telling the cruel facts of something small-beer?

Secondly, white lies can encourage and bring hope to people. When someone is suffering through serious illness, his or her family would never say something like, “you will die within a year” or “we have spent an enormous amount of money on you and we are really stressful.” As we know, in this kind of situation, we used to cheer the patient up and try to make them believe that then will get better soon. This is not lying, this is a way to encourage the dying lives - this is an extension of love! In the famous short story The Last Leaf, when the dying young girl looked out of the window and saw the last leaf on the vine shivering in the cold wind like herself, she lose her hope to live. But an artist next door drew a green leaf on that vine in a stormy night just because he did not want the girl to know that the leaf had fell. Although in some perspectives the artist lied to the girl, but that action brought hope to live to that little girl. The green leaf drawn by the artist is not only a symbol of hope and life; it is also a strong evidence of the power of white lies. Isn’t that the superlative of lies? We can see from here that white lies came from love, trust, and hope; white lies also build up love, trust, and hope. White lies can make people live with great fortitude and hope.

Last but not least, I am not here to advocate telling lies. It is important to know that lies are not always against honesty. In other words, lie and honesty are never paralleled. What is the definition of lie? From seditious commercials to lovers’ sweet talks, we can even see literature as a form of lie. So there should be a ruler in our mind to distinguish whether a lie is acceptable or not. Compared with those spiteful lies, white lies are more of a social strategy to make our relationships with others in harmony.

My dear people please wake up! White lies would never be an opposition of honesty. If you are thinking about others by heart, lies can be precious and meaningful. Make lies powerful! Let it encourage you to achieve your dream, let it strengthen your heart. If lying is for stopping oneself and the others from suffering, why not choosing it?