Title
Do not lie, commandment number nine of the big ten. These laws, decreed by the God of the Bible, are often strewn aside and disregarded. Lying is a huge part of people’s lives, every day the truth is watered down to where there is no trace of the original flavor. But can you imagine what a world of complete honesty would be like? It might be peaceful and accepting, but then again, it could be brutal and bitter. Lies surround us everyday, and there are several ways to perceive the deception.
In her essay “The Ways We Lie,” Stephanie Ericsson claims that the truth comes with consequences, she is correct. The golden truth stands above anything else in the measuring of character, but what’s so bad about telling a few lies and settling with silver? The answer is not too much. It is okay to lie every now and then if the intention is good. Here’s a scenario: you ran over your daughter’s beloved kitten, but instead of telling little Suzy that you killed her kitty, you tell her that Mittens ran away. This deceptive path protects both parties from being hurt; Suzy thinks that her cat ran away, and will not hate you for killing her pet; it seems that everyone wins here. If the truth were to be told, grief and pain would be experienced, a little lie can prevent all of that. Lying also makes our lives easier. Instead of having to own up to every mistake, or openly blow off a good friend, we have the paradoxical ability to protect them by betraying them. “I have homework” always sounds a lot better than “I don’t want to hang out with you today.” Writing this feels awful, because telling someone this kind of thing is wrong, but it is true that it cushions the situation, and is very frequently used by some people. The consequences of lying are not good, but the repercussions of the truth can be worse.
Is it possible to never lie? Let’s find out. It is very possible to never lie, but it would be a narrow and possibly dangerous path. One would need to be extremely cautious with their words and actions if they were actually intent on the truth. There are many ways to lie, such as: by omission, stereotypes and clichés, white lies, and the flat out lie. To not give in to any of these four categories would be very difficult, but certainly feasible.
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3 comments:
You have a really good start, and by introducing the other ways of lying you definitely have a lot more that you can write on. I like what you said about settling with silver. I can't really think of much criticism, except that the sentence, "If the truth were to be told, grief and pain would be experienced, a little lie can prevent all of that" sounds a little awkward. There are a few more that are kind of awkward, but It's just a rough draft. Overall, you've written clearly and kept it interesting.
1. Telling little lies to help the situation is often used and is a good way to avoid confrontation.
2. First Ericsson's claim about he consequences of truth is stated in the essay followed by examples of reasons where lying is a good idea.
3. It is definitely expressed in this essay. throughout the essay he explains his reasoning to why he feels it is ok to lie occassionally and that to never lie would be almost dangerous.
4. He counter-claims his ideas of not telling the truth and stating the truth. He comes from both sides and shows the good and bad reasons for each.
5. If it is at all posssible he could find an example of someone who never lies or who lies at a minimal level and compare it to someone with normal lying habits.
6. I think all the counter claims are addressed in this essay.
This is a really good essay because it made methink of examples in my life and how I use lies to avoid what could be bad.
I agree with everything you said. I believe that lying can benefit people to a certain extent, but it has to be done with consideration to the people you're lying to. I like your examples and I'm sure you'll go deeper into some of your thoughts in the final essay. I like that you mentioned your ideas, but also looked at the other side. You addressed the prompt for the most part and I'm interested in reading your full essay when it's finished.
Sorry for the late response man, got caught up at work. Restaurant business sux :(
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