I believe lies have many shapes and definitions. There are lies that are for deceptive purposes, and there are lies that are not deceptive but rather are more like arrows pointing to another source of knowledge. Lying for deceptive purposes have moral and ethical concerns, but what if you lie for reasons that are not deceptive, what if you're lying to preserve a secret, that actually might devastate another person in ways irretrievable if spoken truthfully? What if your lie aid another person through ways that cannot be attained through telling the mere truth? Does that make lying wrong? I DON'T THINK SO.....
Lying can be an outlet for keeping secrets that would hurt another and point others to a safe haven that is intangible through telling the truth; when i was a child, i had multiple pets, and as animals, they all share one thing in common, mortality---. When that moment came, that moment that they died, my parents would come up with a lie to soothe and comfort me in ways the truth would never had matched up to.
Think back to when you were i don't know 5, and you got this new dog, would you not feel devastated if you learned that your dear companion died. Parents cover up these devastations with lies not for the purpose to poke at and make fun of your emotions, they do this to preserve your health and well being, for most children in the early years of youth death is not always something that is easily comprehended, its in the child's best interest that these problems are locked up and prevented when necessary, and if necessary brought up when the child have developed some sort of more complex and helpful coping mechanism to get through times as such, if you deny this fact, just imagine yourself stepping into the shoes of a parent, and have to explained to little Suzie why Lassie died yesterday by a drunk driver in the middle of the night.
2 comments:
Even the lie about what happened to the family pet is still deceptive. I am not sure that this leads to knowledge. It may lead to momentary emotional peace, but how can it lead to true knowledge? The child has been led to a belief in something that is other than true.
You write, "Another way Lies can lead to knowledge is that, when you do lie, you really can't stop theoretically and truthfully speaking." While it is true that the tower of lies often crumbles, revealing truth, and that the building of such a tower is perhaps a necessary quality to lying, there is an even deeper point that your statement points to. Lies are grounded in truth. I cannot lie to you about the amount of money in my pocket if I do not know the truth of how much I have. I can be ignorant of how much money I have and fling some humbug your way, but this is not a lie. I do not know whether what I have told you is true or false. In order for me to lie, I must know the truth and offer something that is directly contrary to it.
In response to the "helpful" lie told to children about the deaths of pets, I have to refute and say that these lies are not helpful by any means. The only effect achieved is momentary (and by this I mean a few months) emotional relaxation. However, this momentary peace will soon abade as the child goes several months without seeing his beloved pet. Suzie still believes that Lassie will return from her doggy vacation or that the friend who so direly needed a pet will send pictures. The initial deception continues to undermine the true situation. If the child is told the truth from an early age of pets' deaths, then he will be able to cope with the reality of death more readily in his future life. He will come to understand that the pet has gone to a "better place" and that that pet is happier than on earth. Furthermore, allowing the child to know the truth allows him to heal. He will accept the fact that fido will not return and will be able to heal emotionally and, when ready, will be able to find a companion without feeling guilty. Lies, I believe, should only be used in the most extreme situations and should be nearly immediatly unveiled. The parent only fails to prepare his child for future experiences by taming the idea of death for him.
Post a Comment