Sometimes it is better not to tell the truth.

Sometimes it is better not to tell the truth.

From a very young age, our parents and teachers told us:”You should always try to become an honest person. Kids who tell lies are bad kids and they deserve punishment.” However, as time goes by, we will eventually find out that the world is complicated and things are not as simple as we thought before. In some cases, it’s better not to tell the truth. Kind lies are acceptable.

Telling the truth directly is sometimes cruel. Think about a person who is tortured by advanced cancer. If the doctor tells the truth to the patient that he is going to die, the patient is very likely to commit suicide soon after. However, if the doctor says the disease is not a big deal and he should keep optimistic, the patient may rekindle his faith in life and future and is possible to defeat the cancer.

Not telling the truth does not always mean that we have to tell a lie. We can keep silent, tell only part of the truth, or find some else to tell the truth. Most parents tend not to tell the whole truth about the world when they are teaching their children. The reason for that is the world is full of evil things like drugs, crimes and these can easily distort children’s understanding of normal world, which is pretty bad for their all-around development. Another instance is dating. In some TV dramas, the male protagonist loves his girlfriend very much, but it is rather difficult for him to speak out the three words “I love you”, although that is the truth. At this time, the man can find someone else like the woman’s best friend to tell her the truth. That’s pretty common in such dramas and even become a cliche.