Dealing with with "social lying"

[Infinityecho]

How to lie: usually boils down to the following three ways: Option 1. Saying something that is simply not true. Option 2. Speaking in a partially truthfull manner in an effort to give mistaken conclusions. Option 3. Speaking the truth in such a way to give the clear impression that it is a lie. If our lies are dishonest and deceptive, such deception is a form of theft. Do you agree “Lying is the obliteration of one’s dignity as a human being”?

[thegnome54]

Yes. (Nah, that was a lie) Lying does not matter unless you make it matter. Let me elaborate. If I walk into the middle of a forest and say "BENNY STOLE MY WALLET!", then even though that is a lie, it is clearly not damaging to my dignity. If I were to repeat the same phrase while standing behind Benny, one could argue that it would be. It boils down to morals - whether or not you feel that you've done something wrong. My theory of morals involves the pain and pleasure of the individual, so the only way that the pain/pleasure of others can affect your moral decisions is through empathy. Therefore, it boils down even further - lying is only bad if you feel bad about it. This may sound odd, but only if you believe in objective morality.

[Xaqaria]

Yes. (Nah, that was a lie) Lying does not matter unless you make it matter. Let me elaborate. If I walk into the middle of a forest and say "BENNY STOLE MY WALLET!", then even though that is a lie, it is clearly not damaging to my dignity. If I were to repeat the same phrase while standing behind Benny, one could argue that it would be. It boils down to morals - whether or not you feel that you've done something wrong. My theory of morals involves the pain and pleasure of the individual, so the only way that the pain/pleasure of others can affect your moral decisions is through empathy. Therefore, it boils down even further - lying is only bad if you feel bad about it. This may sound odd, but only if you believe in objective morality. Do you believe you are uneffected by someone else's subjective morality?

[Lucid_boy]

Yes. (Nah, that was a lie) Lying does not matter unless you make it matter. Let me elaborate. If I walk into the middle of a forest and say "BENNY STOLE MY WALLET!", then even though that is a lie, it is clearly not damaging to my dignity. If I were to repeat the same phrase while standing behind Benny, one could argue that it would be. It boils down to morals - whether or not you feel that you've done something wrong. My theory of morals involves the pain and pleasure of the individual, so the only way that the pain/pleasure of others can affect your moral decisions is through empathy. Therefore, it boils down even further - lying is only bad if you feel bad about it. This may sound odd, but only if you believe in objective morality. Why is only lying bad if you feel bad about it? Why not murder or rape?

[Carôusoul]

Why is only lying bad if you feel bad about it? Why not murder or rape? "Bad" and "Good" are subjective.. there is no universal rule we can apply to certain types of "bad" lying; just as a society make these ideas. As a society essentially all lying is bad, whether you feel bad about it or not. Murder and rape are fun pastimes.

[♥Mark]

“Lying is the obliteration of one’s dignity as a human being”? Whoever told you dignity is important was lying.

[Jeff777]

How To Lie Without Ever Getting Caught! -Never divert your eyes from the person "interrogating you" -Do not cross your arms (shows sign of defensiveness, and defensiveness usually entails your hiding something) -Do not look down -Do not put your hand to your neck, nose, eyes, or crack your fingers/knuckles -Keep your chin up while talking (not metaphorically speaking, physically do it) -No shaking your foot, tapping your foot, or raising your eyebrows while answering -Your hand gestures should be calm, smooth, and natural. **When people lie...they typically have a tell (something that shows they are lying). For instance when Me and my family were playing a murder mystery game I won nearly every time because I would ask them a question, some of them would shake their foot while answering and the foot would stop shaking when they've stopped talking. Over 50% of what you communicate to others is being said by your body language. Your tongue may say one thing but your body could be tattling on you. When answering, never divert your eyes from the questioner, shift your position, or touch any part of your face/neck.**

[thegnome54]

Or, you can just not lie

[Carôusoul]

Do you agree “Lying is the obliteration of one’s dignity as a human being”? No. Who cares about "human dignity"?

[Infinityecho]

Or, you can just not lie Is that possible? what would we do for such Reality TV shows that captivate audiences with human acts of Lies, deceit, subterfuge, strategy. Where the best/proficient deceitful players win, and win the "prize" No. Who cares about "human dignity"? Maybe just me, in which case the chances for all human survival may be less than optimal. ".....the survival of our species is associated with the survival of nature and, thus, when we widen the concept of dignity we are assuring the continuity of human beings through an ethics of responsibility for the future,.." This 'Pinocchio' problem may be an evolved survival-tool, and we live now in these times that encourage rather than discourage lying; evidence and activity contrary to our lies are more easily concealed or hidden. Our/the Culture of Lies and lying now wreak widespread havoc http://www.natall.com/free-speech/fs0202c.html "human dignity" hopefully we will evolve before war annihilates all of us?

[Replicon]

It depends on the lie, really. Motivation and intent are what really matter. If you lie about (say) WMD's, yeah, your dignity is gone, as is my respect for you. But sometimes, lying is okay, and even desirable. Case in point: flirting. Have you ever walked up to an attractive woman and told her you find her attractive, and you'd like to get to know her, to find out whether you're good together? How far has that ever gotten you? No, you have to specifically NOT telegraph interest, and sort of "play the game", if you will. According to the definition above, that's lying. Does that mean you throw away your dignity? Hell no!

[Serkat]

Case in point: flirting. Have you ever walked up to an attractive woman and told her you find her attractive, and you'd like to get to know her, to find out whether you're good together? Certainly have. How far has that ever gotten you? No, you have to specifically NOT telegraph interest, and sort of "play the game", if you will. It depends on the chick and the situation a little. More important than not telegraphing interest is not coming off as needy. Approach directly and confidently and it works just as well as indirect approaches. Me approaching the chick is actually a present and a compliment to her so the burden is on her anyway. Speaking of directness, asking for sex didn't get me far. 5 minutes of small talk is the most you could hope for. I'm not dissing your point though. I probably say things that aren't true but it's usually not clear to the other person whether that is indeed the case. Mysteriousness.