WHITE LIES OR BLACK LIES
As you know, in our life, there are certain times when we have to tell lies. Commonly, people say that all lies are bad and harmful. They always condemn liars and consider them bad people. In fact, this conception is not always right. There are two kinds of lie: black lie and white lie. Black lie is what that is harmful to people while white lie is not. Talking about this matter, we have many things to say.
I would like to give you an example that caused serious consequences because of telling a lie.
King U Vuong loved a beautiful girl named Bao Tu very much but she never smiled. One day, one of the king’s Assistants showed him the way to make her smile. At that time, in Ky Son Mount, there was a watchtower where soldiers set fire when invaders came. The assistant asked the King to fire it to make the Queen happy. When seeing the fire, many Mandarins and solders came to help but nothing happened. Looking at their crest-fallen faces, the Queen smiled.
The King was very happy and had done the same for three times. One day the invaders really came, and the King ordered to fire the Watchtower but no one came because they thought that the King wanted to make the Queen happy. As a result, he lost his Kingdom, and was killed. He got this consequence because of his lies. This story is suitable to the saying, “A liar is not believed even though be tells the truth”.
However, sometimes we have to tell white lies. For example, doctors, usually tell their patients that their incurable diseases are not very serious. Moreover, in some cases, people don’t like to hear frank words. For instance, women usually want her beauty to be praised although some of them are not beautiful at all. Why do we do so? It is because these lies make people happier. Do you remember the saying, “The truth usually hurts people’s feeling”? However, we have to know when we should tell lies. If not, you’ll get consequences like the King in the story above. So, when should we tell a lie? How can we do that? Let’s talk about it.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. In your opinion, is it necessary to tell lies is our life? Why or why not? Have you ever told lies? On what occasions? How do you feel when you deceive someone? Did you regret afterward?
2. Who tells lies more often, a man or a woman? What do people often lie about?
3. Do you think that telling is good for love or not? Why or why not? How is your attitude to false utterances your lover brings into your ears?
4. What do you think when someone realizes you’re a liar? In case you realize that your lover, what will you do to her/him? Give you opinions about the saying: “Ask no question, and hear no lie”.
5. Do you think that sometimes we need to tell white lies? In which situation, should we tell white lie? Which of the following circumstances is acceptable to tell a white lie?
6. Do you think we should always tell the truth? Why? Should we ever tell lies? What do you think about the saying “Honesty is the best policy”? Do you think it is always good for a person to be honest?
7. Who could be the most skilled liar you know? How often do you meet them in your life? Could you distinguish the different between a white lie and a black one?
8. Do you have a sense of humor? Do you often start jokers? What are your purposes actually? Do you like people who always tell jokers? Do you want to be a joker?
9. What can the liar gain when telling a lie? Why do many people like telling lies? What do you think of this saying, “Let no man deceive you with vain words”?
10. How can we recognize whether a person tells the truth or lies? Do you believe what girls/boys say? Do girls say “yes” which always means “no” or vice versa?
11. Knowing exactly what one says is a lie, which of following reaction would be the most typical way?
a. Express your feeling and telling him that you know the truth.
b. Ignore and talk yourself that you have nothing to pay attention to.
12. What can you draw from today’s discussion?
Tiêu đề: WHITE LIES OR BLACK LIES (4/9/2011) 
Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:58 pm
