Lying, Immoral or Moral?

Lying is considered as a necessary evil. Those small little tiny harmless lies are justified when they induce the smooth flow of our individual and social life and helps us to avoid absolutely unnecessary conflicts in our relationships with others.. A truth which poisons a relationship is much worse than a lie. A lie, which tends to harmonize social or individual relationships, is better than the truth. I remember when I was I was mush younger, a friend, who sometimes acted as the wiser guy because he was slightly older, used to preach that the only situation where a lie is justified is when that lie saves somebody’s life. Unfortunately I now realise that is far from the truth. The author of the linked article says, “What justifies the lie is the benefit of its outcome; if more good than harm flows from its telling, a lie is justified.”

I however dislike people telling lies for no reason at all or simply because they have become habitual or to create a falso impression of themselves or others. A lie must have a reason behind it, a reason which has an underlying good motive.

Plato said, “Lies are not only evil in themselves, but infect the soul of those who utter them.” They infect only if the motive is one of evil, other wise they will elevate the speakers character and cleanse the human soul.

Link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/1999/sep/18/books.guardianreview11