We usually try to achieve our goals by any means necessary. These often include lying to others as lies can help us form other people’s opinions in the way most helpful to us. We do this even though we were taught to always tell the truth. These morals were passed upon us by our parents. However, later on we caught our parents lying to us too. I am sure you remember how they told you that Santa Claus brings the presents or the lies about how children get to their parents. So, why should we always tell the truth, if those moralizing are lying too? Well, there is nothing wrong in telling a lie. But it is important to learn the difference between a lie and a ‘little white lie’.

Being able to distinguish these two types of a lie is essential. The reason for that is the different effect of these lies. The regular lie will usually swing back and hit you later. It has also a potential to hurt other people or their feelings. In some extremes, your lies can even completely ruin someone’s life or even get them killed.

Because of this, it is important to always think twice before you say something untrue. Always consider whether it might hurt someone’s feelings, alter their opinions or make you look a better person than you really are. In such a case it is just a lie. Also, if it is aimed at getting you out of trouble and ditching your responsibility for the actions you have taken, then it is a bad and in the end also a harmful lie.

It is best to avoid this kind of lies at all. The effects of exposed lie are always far worse than those of saying the truth. That is so even when the truth will get you in trouble. Most of the lies get exposed sooner or later anyway and when they do, your situation will be even more difficult. There are several reasons for that. The most important ones being that you will lose your credibility and that everyone hates to be lied to. People affected by your lies then tend to be less forgiving.

On the other hand, a lie falling under the category of ‘little white’ lies usually has a different effect. It is aimed at sparing someone’s feelings, easing their suffering or even keeping a tradition. Wide spread lies that are told to children by their parents can also be considered harmless. Sure, they will make most children feel betrayed when they find out the truth, but it will do no real harm. Instead, parents are doing them a favor by keeping things inappropriate for their age out of their minds and thus have more joy off their childhood.

So, if the lie is intended to help someone else without negatively affecting others, then it is a ‘little white’ lie. This is, for example, the case of doctor telling his patient that the procedure is painless even if it is not. This doctor does not say this for selfish reasons. He just wants to spare the patient some stress and maybe even pain as we tend to perceive the pain more thoroughly when we expect it. He also does not lose his credibility as the patient knows doctor’s intentions were selfless. Also, telling positive little lies about someone’s appearance will do harm to nobody and it will not come back in the future to haunt you.

To conclude, there is nothing wrong with lying. However, one must be able to decide whether it is appropriate to do so. This is so, because telling a lie and telling a ‘little white lie’ will have entirely different consequences. While telling a lie has potential (that is usually fulfilled sooner or later) to cause problems, a ‘little white lie’ is harmless and it is intended to please others or spare them some suffering.