If you don't tell someone something they didn't ask about, are you lying?
There is a difference between telling a lie and not disclosing information. This is why in many situations witnesses are told to only answer the question, and not embellish or expand upon their answer. A prime example was Senator Session during his hearing. When asked if he had witnessed or heard of any contacts between Trump campaign personnel and Russians, he blurted out that he had never had any contact with Russians. This was not the question he was asked, and he offered information unnecessarily. Had he settled down, and really listened, he could have simply answered the question, “No, I did not witness any Trump supporters communicating with Russians.”While on the surface this may in fact have been a bending of the truth, it certainly did not rise to the level of the information he shared without being prompted, which most certainly was a lie.Now, this is not to condone withholding vital information, particularly if safety is an issue.The maxim is, never ask a question for which you don’t already know the answer. The corollary would be, never answer a question that has not been asked.
Is it illegal to quote someone on something they didn't say?
@badmofaux: i never had any intention of doing so. i just wanted to clarify it. anyway, i didn't mean deliberate, i meant in general. sort of like when someone purchases stolen merchandise without knowing it's stolen. they're still going to be fined. it's happened to a couple people i know and a couple friends of friends that i've been told about.
Being accused of something I didn't do.?
So yesterday I got a call from my apartment complex requesting that I meet with them in the office. I was very surprised with what they had to say to the point I had trouble comprehending what they were saying! Several vehicle windshields have been shot with a BB or Pellet gun. They told me it could have only been done from my apartment and stated a Witness saw me outside. She was not clear on what they saw but just stated someone saw me. I don't even OWN a BB or Pellet gun and advised her it was not me. She stated a police report has been filed and they victims want to press charges. She said all charges would be drop if you pay for the damages. I advised her I cannot pay for something I did not do. She said she wasn't accusing me but it sure felt like I was being accused especially when charges are being pressed. I have no idea what to do and actively looking for a good attorney. Should I be worried? Never been in a situation like this.
How do you take back something really mean you just said to someone?
Start by being clear [in your own mind]* about why you said the thing you now regret, and own that. Meanness is weak. It comes from a bad place that you need not indulge - think on how that happened. Don't do that again.Apologies require a certain bravery. It's easy to ignore your gaff, or play it off like you don't care, but you do. I'm so glad you do.*edit for clarity: you should be aware of your own motives, but you should NOT burden the person you offended with your reasons, intentions, rationalizations, justifications, and musings on the state of modern society that contributed to your gaffe. It's not their problem.Sincerely but concisely apologize. If the explanation would help, provide one, but keep it to a sentence or two - this is about you taking responsibility and minimizing offense. It is not a time for your victim to hear your protracted confession.Please don't say, "I didn't think you could hear me." That may be true, but suggests that the person's reputation wouldn't be safe with you - if that was true at the time, make sure it's not going to be true going forward. Repent.Once you clarify that you know you said something unkind, regret it, and apologize, stop there. Be humble. Accept whatever they hand back to you, because you're sincerely sorry for what you did. Don't try to justify, further defend, or minimize what happened. Just say what you need to say - that you're sorry and regret what you did, and then stop. This last bit is where many apologies go wrong...the apologizing party puts their foot in it and doesn't know how to stop. Just stop talking.Once the offended party responds, you should be able to determine the next step. That typically falls into the "are we okay?" transition to reconciliation, or the "respect their space" contrite retreat. If it's not the former, it's the latter. The latter feels rotten, but doing the right thing now will leave room for reconciliation later. Put some daylight between you and your error and let them come around if/when they're ready.I know it feels terrible to discover you've been the source of offense. It's not the end of days, though. Everyone finds themselves in your shoes at one time or another. Be brave - it'll pass.
I got arrested for something i didn't do?
You should retain a lawyer as soon as possible. You made a number of mistakes in dealing with the cop; several other people here have already enumerated them so I won't repeat them. If you're truly innocent then you can hope that the lawyer can get the theft charge dismissed, because the other charge is just an add-on to that. The district attorney's office will pile as many charges on you as he can think of in order to try and get you to plea-bargain to one or two of them. I figure you'll get as serious a theft charge as they can come up with, resisting arrest, fleeing the scene of a crime, and failure to provide proper identification to a law enforcement official, and that's just for starters. They can spend lots of time,money, and legal expertise to prosecute you; your only hope is to have someone who has some expertise on your side. Get an attorney.
Is it lying if you accidentally tell someone something that isn't true?
Depends on who you get your definition from. Personally, I'd say no. You didn't know it wasn't the truth. However, you need to quickly tell the person that you had been misinformed, and tell them what the real truth is. Definition of lie: (Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lie) 1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood. 2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression. Definition of lie: (Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionar... 1 a: an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive b: an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker2: something that misleads or deceives