Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Sometimes it is better not to tell the truth.(Full Score)

TOEFL Writing Sample: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Sometimes it is better not to tell the truth. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. (Full Score)

[Anyone publishing this essay without consent from WritersForMe.com will face legal consequences.]

Many people would agree that it is better not to tell the truth if it would hurt another person’s feelings and I mostly agree. I try not to say mean things to people especially if my words don’t help. In that case, I would rather say nothing and let somebody else tell the person the truth.

But sometimes it is hard to tell a lie and sometimes it isn’t even necessary — if you can tell the person the truth in a nice way. For instance, I have a son who is 22 years old and I can’t remember ever telling him anything that wasn’t the truth. Of course, it isn’t a good idea to tell a child ‘the whole truth’. It is the same with a friend. You should tell them what they need to know and give them a chance to sort out the situation themselves, but if your friend asks for more details you sometimes have to make a difficult decision.

Also, I think that sometimes a supervisor at work with whom one becomes friendly can be in a very hard position. If the boss says to keep something quiet, then it is not possible to tell the truth and to keep your job. In that situation, I think it is often best to do what the boss tells you but at the same time try to find a way to help your friend.

There are also times when the other person does not really want to hear the truth. Maybe it will interfere with something that they already believe to be true. In those cases, it is best just to apologize and move on to something else. Most people have very strong ‘belief systems’ and it is important to know when it is appropriate to be honest.

[301 words]