By Natalie Boutros
There is a Czechoslovakian proverb that states, “Better a lie that soothes than a truth that hurts.” This proverb intends to send a message that, at times, saying something untrue but comforting is better than saying malicious truth. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
I, morally, do not agree with this Czechoslovakian proverb and believe that the truth always comes out at some point, so why not be forthright regarding it? But I also believe that certain situations require caution when sharing the truth.
I could disagree with this expression by saying that lying takes away someone’s right to know the truth, and that doing so is unfair no matter the circumstances. If an individual doesn’t know the full truth, they are unable to make rational decisions. It may also change their perception of the truth and how they view a subject, person, place, or thing. For example, a friend may shield the bad parts of their relatives in order to have them be perceived differently by friends and other family members.
Continually, honesty is the foundation of a healthy and secure friendship or relationship and being dishonest may destroy people’s association with one another. Lying can cause people to perceive each other as deceitful and underhanded at times when they believe the truth was worth more than the lie.
Contradictorily, there are situations where one is under stress or in a time-sensitive situation in which if a person told the truth, it could jeopardize the outcome of the situation or harm someone due to an incorrect decision.
In further opposition, an individual may give more misinformation to comfort someone they care about rather than deceive them. For example, a friend attempting to support another friend into a far-fetched friendship in hopes of them socializing. In other cases, being forthright may cause humiliation to the other person and may affect their self confidence or composure in frustrating situations.
In any manner, do you believe “better a lie that soothes than a truth that hurts” to be true?
