What are your personal feelings on the "noble lie" concept?
The relevant Mosaic commandment prohibits the bearing of false witness (in court or before the law), not lying as such.The concept of the Noble Lie is to protect someone else from harm that would come from knowing the truth. The problem is, as with so many grand concepts, "who is to decide?" Employment of the Noble Lie usually involves the exercise of breathtaking arrogance on the part of the liar. Not always, but usually.There are, of course, situations and relationships in life where the truth is not important, the listener is expected to follow orders and any explanation (whether truth or lie) is optional. Parenthood and the military are two of the very few.Every once in a while, and in very peculiar circumstances, it is fairly safe to determine that the truth would cause more harm than a lie, but the liar assumes a great risk that he is exactly wrong. Several of Shakespeare's plays, for instance, highlight the tragic effects that can occur from hiding the truth. These plays have been popular for centuries because they illustrate a fundamental truth recognized by audiences: the Noble Lie is very dangerous and its employment can easily lead to tragedy. In my opinion, the well-intended liar ought to burn in Hell if he is wrong. Perversely, selfish lying can be less selfish than exalting oneself by employing the Noble Lie.There is a very good reason why most cultures regard telling the truth, or remaining silent, as more virtuous than trying to manage in someone else's life by lying: generations of experience has shown that lying is dangerous, even if the liar thinks that he and the lie are noble.
Can I lie about my family's level of eduction in order to be the first generation to go to college?
Thanks for the A2A.This is an interesting question. George Weisgerber III's answer offers some interesting insight, and others offer some moralization that I don’t disagree with. However, here’s my question: How do you think this will help? I’m going to assume you are not first-gen but want to be seen as such. I’m also going to answer for the US, because that’s what I know.Yes, if you pull this off, you might get a scholarship or an admission to a school you might not have gotten otherwise. However, this is not wrong because of some abstraction, it’s wrong because you’re taking something that’s set aside for someone who otherwise would have trouble getting where they deserve to go. Students from these families often have special financial and social hardships and fewer avenues for support. There are good reasons these programs exist. Would you really feel comfortable taking something like that away from someone? It’s stealing from a poor person. That’s rough.Think hard about why you want to do this. Do you feel that if you don’t, you’ll end up at an inferior school? Or not in a school at all? The former is unlikely, as there are plenty of excellent schools; higher ed (at least in the US) is not uniform, but it’s rigorously evaluated to ensure quality. The latter is almost impossible; at the very least, you can start at a community college, where the only admission requirements are financial means (or sufficient aid) and a GED or high school diploma.I suspect you’re feeling pressure and you see that giving yourself this “advantage” will relieve that pressure. The exact conditions don’t matter. Don’t listen to people who will fill you full of fear using scare tactics, even if those people are your teachers and parents. Most people who go to college graduate with no debt or a not-overwhelming amount (~$35,000 in 2015) and get full-time professional positions in a fairly short time (although that might be a couple of years). I’m not trivializing the stress associated with $35,000 in debt and no job, but I assure you that long-term, the potential impact, even if you are successfully able to hide, will be bad.Good luck with this process, and understand that there’s nothing worth lying for.
Can millenials ask compensation to society for lies told while they were growing up?
Haa!! Do you not think every generation was lied to??Let us start with Santa claus. Read a history book from my generation too. Full of not so correct information.The thing is. We are taught what others have learned and hand down. As your generation ages the next generation will feel like you do. It is the cycle we all go thru.When you reach 50′s your eyes open to A LOT!! At least mine have been.So no you cant sue because you feel lied to. Grow up and start sharing truths and change things seems the best idea.
So if lying to a fast food restaurant to get free food is right then should I lie?
To starbucks and get a free mocha latte? I'm 20 and people lie about stuff in restaurants to get free food. It's usually overweight middle aged people who are the ones that are angry at my generation. How do you all feel about me doing that? We aren't teaching children that lying is wrong anymore although the bible days it is.
Do you agree that the Baby Boomers sold out the younger generations for their own benefit?
I think the Baby Boomers bought a line of lies starting with the Reagan Administration that hasn’t stopped yet.“Trickle down” economics, huge tax cuts for the wealthy, and destroying the social safety net has managed to completely curtail the American Dream. When Dwight Eisenhower was president, the marginal tax rate (the rate for the richest individuals) was 90%. Land grant colleges were free in 30 states, and companies recruited for their hiring needs on campus. Blue -collar jobs paid a wage high enough for families to have only one wage earner. Whenever government money did go to help corporations or rich individuals, the translation was into jobs for citizens.But that is completely skewed now. The tax cuts only buy more yachts or get squirreled into Swiss bank accounts, and the government ‘investments’ in corporate ventures either goes to H1-B visa holder contract employees or into R&D for automation so that no employees will need to be hired.These are the changes that happened on the Baby Boomers’ watch, yet their children and grandchildren blame the Baby Boomers for the effects of these practices while still embracing the practices themselves. So unless and until government funding goes in a direction that leads to better employment (opportunities to work 30–40 hours and support a family, own a home and car) and tax revenues are stabilized and used judiciously (single payer, anyone?) instead of being cut in draconian fashion in a not-gonna-happen hope to generate greater revenues, generations after the Baby Boomers won’t ever see the prosperity that marked that last of the lucky American generations.
Why are kids today so bratty?
So, I saw a really bratty kid today at the store. He was about nine or ten. He was constantly saying rude things at the checkout line about people in the store. He also was being very demanding of his mom. That makes me wonder, why kids today act like that? What makes them think they can be rude like that. I wasn't that rude when I was nine. Can any adults give me some insight? I'm sorry if this seems closed minded or stupid.
Why is society built on so much lies?
The question you are trying to ask is not 'why it is', as there are no answers to that, but rather 'how should you deal with it'. I've realized a while ago that ideas like this will not change, no matter how much you want to start with a clean slate. Why? No one would go for that. That's like saying, "Oops. I just failed my semester exam and get an F in the whole course, destroying my GPA. How about all of you A students just agree to throw away your old scores, and all of us will retake the test." Also, to have a completely clean slate would be to start with an entirely new generation, which has no knowledge of the past generation, because others would retain prejudices. That's impossible. So, to answer your question, people need a way to explain and have hope for the future. Now, all rules are not meant for all occasions- you must know that in multiple choice tests, if one of the options says that something is right in EVERY instance, it's wrong. Nothing is ever guaranteed. All of the sayings you have listed are other people's perceptions of life. For things like that to come true, you do need to make some effort- they will not fall into your hands. If you don't like it, then you don't have to believe in it; it's your choice to be as cynical as you want. I will advise, however, that often, people who choose to look at the glass half-empty become victims of the self-fulfilling prophecy, and they will never get out of their rut. I can see that this may be a tough time for you. I hope you will listen to the song "I dare you to Move" by Switchfoot. It helped me when I was feeling down about the world. Life is not a free ride, and there is no such thing as a free lunch. That's what I believe.