PartⅢDevelopingideasLittleWhiteLies(1)Writtenmorethantwohundredyearsago,theselinesbyWalterScottremainoneofthemostwell-knownexcerptsofScottishpoetry:Oh,whatatangledwebweweave,Whenfirstwepractisetodeceive
(2)Weallknowthathonestyisanimportantvalueandthatlyingiswrong,butwhocanhonestlysaythatthey’venevertoldalie
Perhapswecomfortourselveswiththeknowledge(3)thatmostofthelieswetellare“whitelies”:littleliesthatwetelltoprotectothersfromthetruth
We’veallsurelyhadtheexperienceofsomeone(4)cookingamealforusthatwedon’tlike
Themajorityofusofcoursedon’ttellthetruth—welieandsaythatthefoodis“delicious”.Orifafriendasksuswhatwethinkoftheirnewhaircut,wesay“It’sgreat
”,evenifwethinkit’sawful
But(5)towhatextentcanwejustifytellingwhitelieslikethese
Oneofthemainreasonsfortellingawhitelieistotrytomakeothersfeelbette