As little children, most of us were taught the virtue of honesty from fairy tales and

other stories. The story lf Pinocchio, who brgins life as a puppet, teaches us the

importance of telling truth. In the story of young George Washington, who lies about

cutting down the cherry tree, we learn that he earns his father's praise only when he

admits what he has done. Even though we know that"honesty is the best policy," why do we

often lie in our everyday life? The fact is that we lie for many reasons.



We sometimes lie to minimize our errors and mistakes. For example, some students might

lie to their teachers about unfinished homework. They might say that they left the word at

home when, in fact, they didn't even do the work. These sutdents don't want to be

irresponsible,so they make up a lie to save face.

Another reason wo lie is to get otu of situations wo don't want to be in. If wo just

don't want to attend the dorm meeting early on saturday mirning,we might give this

excuse:"I've been fighting off a cold all week, and I need to sleep on saturday morning."

We lie because we believe that telling the truth will cause problems. When wo don't know

how to say no, we often use lies to avoid difficulties.



However, lies are not always negative; in fact two kinds of lies can yield positive

results. The first is commonly referred to as a "white lie." We tell white lies when wo

don't want to hurt other people's feelings. For example if a good friend shows up with an

unflattering haircut is awful. It doesn't suit you at all!" Instead, we are more likely to



lie and say, "I like your haircut.It looks good on you," and spare our friend's feelings.

The second kind of positive lie is the"protective lie." This one can help us get out of or

avoid dangerous situations. Parents often teach their children to use this kind of lie. For

example, parents tell their children not to say that they are home alone if they receive

phone calls from strangers. In this situation, lying can prevent harm or disaster.

People lie for many reasons, both good and bad. However, before we resort to lying to

cover up mistakes or to avoid unpleasant situations, perhaps we should rethink our motives

for lying.
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