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[The water cooler - What Eastsiders are talking about - By Ann Garretson]

"When is it okay to lie?"
(asked at Crossroads Shopping Center on 01-14-99; published in the EJ on 01-17-99)


[pt.]Ralph Elliott, Retired, Bothell
[blue rule]
"Under certain circumstances, if you're going to bring up a subject -- for example, a husband has done something against the marriage, or in some way would hurt the wife -- if it's not going add benefit to the condition, I don't think lying is the right thing to do... If he commits a lie and then atones and never does it again, in that case that might be a benefit."

[pt.]Lynn Elliott, Retired microbiologist, Bothell
[blue rule]
"I think you have to use your judgment. Sometimes it's best in general to let sleeping dogs lie -- not a pun."

[pt.]Arliss Appleton, Small business owner, Redmond
[blue rule]
"I don't think it's ever good to lie -- but I've done it. I think if I was trying not to hurt someone's feelings, I'd try to be nice. Like if someone said, 'How does my hair look?' I would just say, 'It's nice,' even when it wasn't as attractive as I thought it could be."

[pt.]Stewart Flayer, Semi-retired warehouseman, Seattle
[blue rule]
"When you're not going to hurt anyone."

[pt.]Chip Allen, Software beta tester, Redmond
[blue rule]
"If hearing the truth would disturb someone mentally or put great pain on someone... I was watching the MTV program "Lovelines" and the sister of the bride slept with the husband-to-be two days before the wedding. Should she tell? I would probably tell the sister to ward off her fiancé doing it again."

[pt.]Sean Parson, Software beta tester, Redmond
[blue rule]
"I think there's three positions relative to the truth: complete disclosure or truth, non-disclosure, and complete falsehood or outright lie. I don't think it's ever okay to create a complete falsehood. However, a non-disclosure is a necessity at times."

 

[blue rule]

© 1999 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal newspaper.

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