Photo by cottonbro studio
What is it about white lies, and why is it called such? Is there such a specific category of how far a lie can get? Let’s find out how a white lie works and its influence on our habits and human behavior.
Is it ever okay to tell a white lie? It is loosely used and equated to a mundane or trivial lie. While there’s an unclear origin, telling white lies makes a person feel okay not telling the whole truth. However, this can still pose a problem in the long run. After all, one tiny spark can cause a spiraling wildfire.
You may think, “I can just tell this person a half-truth. After all, it wouldn’t hurt to lie occasionally, right?”
Lying, in general, is morally wrong, and anyone in their right mind would say so. But this discussion alone is too complex for comfort, so we will specifically deal with white lies. Even though there are no rules in dealing with lies, they can affect other people’s lives as lying is a learned behavior that starts innocently; until, eventually, becomes a string of intentional fabrications that can scar others for life.
Deception exists anywhere, and you can read more about it in a fictional book about death and murder by Vincent Bivona titled “Blood of Deception.” It tackles a series of lies that conceal the main character from the different sides of the story and shows us how damaging lies can be, even though they started small initially. The layers of deception eventually became thicker until there was no room for the truth to come out – or so it seems.
The layered degrees of lying
We lie for many reasons – sometimes, we use it to protect the ones we care about by saying that it’s just to “protect them” from the things that can hurt them, not knowing that by concealing the truth, we are already doing it. White lies are easy to tell since we can all escape them without knowing. But as we realize that, it gives us a false sense of power to abuse in the future.
That feeling leads to more significant problems and more effort to cover up the tracks to remain undetected. Other than the seemingly noble reasons people lie, it also means protecting oneself from the shame one wouldn’t want to endure for a lifetime.
White lies are the worst solutions to any problem.
It’s not good to be complacent after telling white lies to someone. Let’s just put it that way to avoid getting the wrong idea that just because we can, we will. Please consider why telling white lies can lead to more trouble than it’s worth.
It often makes lying easier than before.
To clarify things, you should hold on to this premise: a lie is one that no one can change. Lies cannot be boxed into colors or levels of their harmfulness. Integrity and ethics are the pillars of society that can be crushed instantly with a simple falsification.
No one should be too comfortable at first, no matter how pressing a situation can be. It may be easier said than done, but facing the consequences head-on is painful but more liberating than squeezing every little lie. They become uncontainable, and the next thing you know, the dam has broken out and flooded the entire city, which is truly a tragedy.
Your relationships will be tormented continually.
Whether it’s romantic or platonic, lying can impact both sides severely. In terms of romantic relationships, being honest goes a long way in communicating needs effectively. They get to be open and free with how they want to work things out together; instead of keeping it to themselves, pretending and claiming to be okay when they’re not.
White lies are prevalent in relationships, intending to spare someone’s feelings from the painful truth that punches straight to the gut. Overlooking things on purpose with hopes of offering reassurance is still a wrong thing to do to someone you love. You might be fortunate to get away the first time until you encounter a particular situation that reveals what you’ve been keeping all this time.
The bottom line is, don’t lie.
Telling a white, black, or rainbow lie doesn’t matter to the degree it has been assigned. Deception is a universally unacceptable act; it has no room for love and consideration. While it may be preferable not to reveal the truth at times, the ones on the receiving end might prefer to feel the pain of honesty than a blissful lie.
It is a complicated territory since white lies are also meant as a Band-Aid solution; the person might willingly swim in the sea of deception rather than drown and suffocate in the worst truths. How they are handled, all depends on the one who lied.
