How did Baldwin V of Jerusalem die?
I just watched Kingdom of Heaven and apparently the death of Baldwin V in the movie was very inaccurate. Wikipedia suggested that but it has no info on the cause of his death. Anyone know how the child king actually died?
Is it okay to lie to serve a "higher cause"?
Lying is something that we humans often feel we have hardwired within us. We feel that it is inevitable to lie, so we come up with rationalizations - “Maybe it’s OK to lie in this kind of situation?” But the fact of the matter is, it’s not.Now, all of this should be prefaced with the truth - I have lied just as much as the next guy. But it’s never advisable, and here’s why.Ethically: we often think we are sparing someone’s feelings when we “lie under the right circumstances.” But, by lying we do that person a massive and unethical disservice - we use the person as a means to achieve an end. Rather than treating them as an equal counterpart in conversation, we view them as a tool to manipulate. When we avoid the truth, under the veil of compassion and “not wanting to hurt their feelings,” what we are really doing is covering our own ass — trying to be well-liked. It’s a slippery slope.Socially: it does no service to the person you are lying to. If, for instance, the person is carrying out some sort of socially disadvantageous behaviour (e.g., wearing an ugly shirt, acting out of line, etc…) he/she would benefit greatly from being told that their behaviour is not desirable. And, further, while people think we are hardwired for lying - we are actually not. We’re hardwired for truth. People sense honesty at a level much deeper than we appreciate or recognize, and they are attracted to it - as long as it is delivered in a considerate manner.Biologically: the brain’s amygdala is wired to respond negatively to lying. This is why we feel guilt or shame when we tell lies (especially big ones). So, every time we lie, it has been shown by fMRI studies that the amygdala’s response dampens. In essence - the more we lie, the more desensitized we become to it, the less shame we feel and the more likely we are to tell bigger and bigger lies.If you’re interested in reading more about this, we’ve got a summary here: Friday Fundamentals #1: Never Tell a Lie.Hope this helped today.Cheers,Nick.