Preview

It's The Truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
981 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
It's The Truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying
The Lies that We Spout
In a small home, a question is left unanswered, lingering in the air. “Is lying really something that is for the better good?” Within the many levels of lying lays a wavering argument only known as lying. Is it justified? Perhaps it should only be classified as unforgivable? Lying is a “necessity” in our everyday lives, it is and can be needed for the greater good whether it comes to lying to save a relationship with a close friend, or used to protect someone and even used to save a life. Lying is an action that is acceptable; it can even be considered a necessity.
Lying is, arguably, needed in our everyday lifestyle and used to protect someone and or something; a friendship, or even protect someone from stressing
…show more content…
In the article It’s the Truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying written by Life on NBCNEWS.com, it states in the second paragraph; “in a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll, over half of the respondents said lying was never justified. Yet in the same poll, up to two-thirds said it was OK to lie in certain situations, like protecting someone’s feelings.” It also states in paragraph seven, “nearly two-thirds of Americans agree. In the AP-Ipsos poll, 65 percent of those questioned said it was sometimes OK to lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, even though 52 percent said lying, overall, was never justified.” With this being stated, these quotations not only show that most individuals agree that lying is, overall, justified but that it is acceptable to lie such as when something such as a relationship is at stake. Also, in the article it also states in the tenth paragraph, “not only is lying justified, it is sometimes a moral duty,” says Cohen. An obvious example is when you’re lying to protect someone from serious harm. But much less extreme cases often call for lies, Cohen says.” Through these quotations, it is shown that lying, in extreme cases and less extreme cases alike, can be used to protect another from serious harm or a manner such as emotions as responses …show more content…
In the article Brad Blanton: Honestly Tell the Truth written by Barbara Ballinger it states, “yes, but we shouldn’t manipulate the truth except for rare times-if you’re hiding Anne Frank in your attic because her life is in danger.” lying can not only be “beneficial” in ways that when used, may offer an exit out of a difficult situation. In the article Teens Do their Share of Lying by Loretta Ragsdell its states, “becoming a good liar is a necessary life-survival skill.” said Tim. “Sometimes, it’s the only thing between you and a guaranteed beat down from your parents.” As Tim stated, lying can be a necessity, it is something that can even define the thin line between two

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lying is sometimes acceptable justable when you are trying to protect others or yourself. For example, Barbara Ballinger says “If you’re hiding Anne Frank in your attic because her life is on danger” (Ballinger P11). This shows that it is okay lie if you are protecting someone.…

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lies are told every day by you, me, and even your close loved ones. Everyone lies at some point in their lives. The simple true is we all lie. While reading the “Ways We Lie” by Ericsson’s it was very clear that lies are being told more than the truth. She explains many different types of lies being told from the smallest of lies to protect the emotional state of others, to the extreme lies being told and merely ignoring the plain facts of lies that cause real pain.…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The author gives the opinion of several professionals and their views on the issue of lying. This opinion is that lying has serious consequences that are difficult to undo. One such consequence is destroying relationships for personal gain.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To lie or not to lie? We are often faced with this question when stuck in sticky situations. It seems as if lying is our second nature, and that is not a good thing. In the articles “Brad Blanton: Honestly Tell The Truth” by Barbara Ballinger and “Teens Do Their Share of Lying” by Loretta Ragsdell, the authors discuss lying and argue its’ justifiability. I agree with the concept that lying is never acceptable because it is morally wrong.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    However, what if the lie doesn’t harm a person? What if by lying we are helping people to make a decision that we believe is in their best interests?…

    • 4446 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “65 percent of those questioned said it was sometimes OK to lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, even though 52 percent said lying, overall, was never, justified” (NBCNEWS.com 7). Can lying sometimes be acceptable or should it be unjustified? So, if it’s acceptable to lie, under what conditions/circumstances is it justified? In the article, “It’s the Truth: Americans Conflicted About Lying” NBCNEWS.com believes that lying is acceptable in certain situations. However, in the article, “Brad Blanton: Honestly, Tell the Truth” by Barbara Ballinger, Brad Blanton suggests that, “Being honest all the time is what’s radical - and rare.” Overall, he thinks that being honest the better than lying. I agree…

    • 612 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lying isn’t always harmful; in fact people do it every day without even noticing it. Lying helps keep injured people, the nation, and people in stressful situations calm. It can do just as much good as it can do harm.…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Ways We Lie Analysis

    • 1327 Words
    • 6 Pages

    An issue that has been highly controversial regarding honesty has been whether it is ever right to lie. Some people would argue that lying is not always morally wrong. From this perspective, telling a lie can be beneficial because the truth sometimes causes more damage than a lie would. To illustrate, a person might lie about how someone looks so that they are not offended. However, others argue that it is never morally right to lie. Stephanie Ericsson, who maintains this view, argues in her essay “The Ways We Lie” that “When someone lies, someone loses” (425). According to this view, a lie always leads to someone being negatively affected. Therefore, lying is wrong because it always results in someone being harmed. In sum, the issue is whether lying is moral or immoral.…

    • 1327 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Are Lies Wrong

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The debate over the acceptability of lying is a complicated one. Some feel that it is morally wrong and only ever worsens a situation. Others feel that it is acceptable in cases where feelings could be hurt, or if a person’s self-esteem may be lowered. However, there are instances in which lying happens simply to avoid the consequences of a person’s actions, and most would agree that it is morally wrong. Instead of going back and forth between “lying is wrong” and “lying is okay sometimes,” a better use of our time would be learning to improve our honesty with ourselves and with the people around…

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Way We Lie

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages

    First off let me start of by saying that we lie. We all do. We exaggerate, we leave out things, we avoid confrontation, we try to be inconsideration of other people feelings, we conveniently forget some aspects of the truth and even keep secrets. Like most people, I find myself in situations of small falsehoods and still think of my self of an honest person. Sure I lie, but it’s not really bothering anyone or anything.…

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Response To Conflict

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lying can be used as a way to respond to conflict. I am sure that at least once in your life you have lied about something to protect yourself or someone else. In the story “The Diary of Anne Frank” Anne is a Jewish girl hiding with her family from the Nazis. While in the annex, they have friends who keep their secret by lying about their location so they don’t get caught. (Frank 122-124) Another example would be the book “The Boy In The Striped Pajamas”. The young boy Bruno thinks the concentration camps near his new house are farms, his mother and father refuse to tell him what it actually is. Bruno lies to…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lying is also an acceptable form of communication as it allows life to progress smoothly.Rebecca Campbell,25-year-old mother from Quincey,III,told her 4-year-old son that there are no cartoons on T.V.Even though there are cartoons on all day Rebecca says it is easier to lie because it is time-consuming,as discipline often is.If she would have told her son the truth, then he would have been watching cartoons all day or complaining that he wants to watch cartoons.”Lying is easier than telling the truth.It is easier because telling the lie doesn’t complicate things,”explained Rebecca on page(2) in paragraph 4-5.Rebecca lied about something instead of telling the truth.Life is smooth when you tell a lie and it is a good form of communication…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At some point in their lives, everyone will have to tell a lie. There are many reasons and motives to lie, but all require the same basic set of skills in order to do it effectively. The lie must be believable, consistent, and delivered correctly.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Do People Lie

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Whether it be to protect a friend, boost one’s confidence, gain a reward or raise or just to bother a peer, lies are dropped everywhere. They are so common that humanity’s capacity to lie is practically infinite. People also lie out of their fear of the truth. We fear what we care about the most which lends itself to the fact that the two most frequent reasons for lying are care and…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Morality Of Lying

    • 200 Words
    • 1 Page

    Have you ever lied to protect someone you were close to? Sometimes lying is okay even though some people think it’s so horrible. Lying is sometimes allowable!…

    • 200 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics