subject: Good and Bad Lies [print this page] Good and Bad Lies Good and Bad Lies
Therefore, it is always helpful to know the difference between a good lie and a bad lie. For example, every guy knows that when his girlfriend asks if she looks fat, the answer should always be a resounding NO, perhaps followed by a "Honey, that is absolutely crazy! I have no idea what would make you think that!" It does not even matter if she has put on 100 pounds.
In this case, you never, ever tell her, or even agree with her, that she looks fat! This is what is called a good lie. It really doesn't hurt anyone. Even though she may be slowly positioning herself on the pudgy side, under no circumstances should you tell her. There are a few subtle ways to let her know that she should exercise a little more care for her body, but you basically need to be an expert if you want to put this view across without suffering some serious consequences. Most of the times, in these situations what you want to do is lie lie lie! And for those people that want the truth and don't want to be lied to, there are some simple methods available that can be used to spot a liar. By doing some research, even the whitest of lies can be detected by a keen observer.
Another time you may want to lie is in a job interview. It may sound bad, but if you really want the position you might need to fib a little. When asked what your worst quality is, for example, don't tell your boss that you have a problem with authority and have trouble concentrating on tasks for extended periods of time. You may want to fabricate just a bit, and come up with a clever response that will answer the question while also highlighting a skill. A bad lie in this situation would be telling the interviewer that you have no bad qualities! There are a lot of people out there that know how to spot a liar, so you don't need to make it too easy for them. In this situation almost anyone would be able to detect a lie.
Another bad lie in this circumstance would be to embellish your past experiences and skills. If you tell your employer you speak fluent Spanish, but you only got through Spanish I and II in high school, this probably is going to come back to bite you! Be honest and up front about your skills and experiences. In the future you certainly don't want to be embarrassed or even fired for your bad choice of lies! Remember, if you decide to tell a lie it is always necessary to exercise caution; you don't want to hurt someone, and you should remember that some people out there are familiar with the techniques used to spot lies.
