All students are required to comment TWICE a week. A week goes from Monday to Sunday. A comment can be a response to my or others' posts --- or a new post. All posts must be relevant to class discussions and assignments. Each post should be 1-3 paragraphs.
Remember, it is OK to disagree with one another, but we must always be RESPECTFUL of one another.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lies for a Good Purpose?
Amy Tan presents a certain amount of the Chinese superstition as lies and stories that are meant to protect and/or help people act in a correct manner. Is it OK to create lies and have people believe in them in order to help people act correctly?
Creating "lies" is a harsh term towards looking at the beliefs that many Chinese people, as well as other people from different cultures, look at life. These beliefs were once started to create an interesting aspect of life, and to create a fun way of how things are formed or made. These "lies" are OK to use in society because of the understanding of people. They know the belief is not necessarily true, but a fun way about looking at their society and how things came about. The lies created to make people act appropriately seem to be OK to use when they are not looked in depth. Usually, when someone goes in to depth about these lies, the lies seem wrong and falsely used. In general, when not looked very far into, these lies are a fun and creative way to make children behave for their parents, or even parents behave towards society. When looked into depth, however, these lies seem wrong and many people point fingers towards the people that started these myths. However, we do not know who started Santa, or other holiday characters. Either way, when gone into depth, these characters do not seem like the right way to make children behave. Parents should come up of better consequences instead of getting the help from fictional characters that they know do not exist, and will later disappoint their child when they find out the character is indeed made up.
I believe that the "lies" and superstitions that are created to help people act correctly are okay up to a certain point. When you are a young child, you don't really want to listen to your parents and think that they are always wrong. However, if santa will give you presents if you do something right, then the kid is sure to do it. Children like to be rewarded for what they do correctly, and santa is the perfect thing for children to believe in to make them behave correctly so they learn it for later. However, I don't think that the parent should continue telling these lies as they get older. There is a certain point in a child's life when the parent has to just trust them to do the right thing. The kid should know how to act correctly, and the parents should believe that they will if they have taught them correctly.
It is not OK to create lies and have people to believe them in order to help people act correctly. If someone started to tell you lies and stories that are meant to protect and help you act correctly, you are going to believe this until somoene tells you that it is not true. Once someone tells you that you have been told lies for many years now, it makes you question how much trust you have in that person that has been making up all of the stories. They have lied to you all your life, so what makes you think that they will stop telling these lies and fake stories. Also, if parents just tell their children the truth from when they are little, then they will grow to learn what is right or wrong. They won't have to be tricked into being good or acting correctly because they were told what is right and what is wrong. The earlier that parents teach their children the correct way to behave, the more practice the children will have to be able to act that way. It is not fair to the people that are told the lies and the stories to, because then they can never be sure who to believe. They may also have a hard time grasping the concept of how to act correctly when they are slightly older, but if they were younger and were taught the right thing, then they probably would have already grown up with the right actions in mind.
It is not ok to lie because, no matter what, it sets a bad example. Although telling your children that if they don't check twice, the doors might unlock during the night will help them remember to do that, as they get older, they'll realize that it was a lie. From there, they could think that if it doesn't seem to hurt anyone, lying is ok. Also, where do you draw the line between a "good" lie and a "bad" lie. Saying that if it hurts someone, then it's bad does not work because to what extent are you talking about? Does someone getting emotionally scarred from a lie equal a person being a little bothered? No it does not. Because there is no way to really tell if a lie is ok, it should not be used, even to try to help.
As wrong as it sounds, everyone has lied about something. Weather it was a big lie or a small lie, people lie to protect themselves or others. Most of the time, people lie without thinking of the consequences before. Even though this does happen, I don't believe that it's ok to create lies and have people believe in them in order to help people act correctly. If you tell someone a lie, it may end worse than you intended. Even if it's something small, it could be turned into something bigger than wanted. Lying tells others, mostly kids, that's it's not a bad thing to lie. If this goes on, small lies will turn into big lies thinking it's alright.
When you're a little kid, you believe almost anything you hear. As you get older, you do not believe as much and are able to start thinking about what is going on. If you continue to lie to kids as they get older they will realize all the lies they had been told. This could end as a result of lost trust. Trust is more important than having someone believe a lie. Also, you may get so use to lying you will not know what to do when you can not control your children after they start knowing the difference between reality and fantasy. Overall, lying will not get you through problems and it's better to tell the truth, eventually even a lie will hurt someone more than protect them.
I Believe that that it is not ok to create lies in order to, basically trick another person into believe something that isn't true. Nobody wants to be lied to, and telling someone a lie to help or protect them is not the right idea. First, the victim of the lie could become afraid to do certain things because of the lie. For example, if a mother tells a child that talking to strangers will cause you to develop sores on your face. This child may always be too afraid to ever talk to a new person ever again. Although it is unlikely that anyone could actually follow this, there is still a chance.
Although lies are thought of as bad, some small lies and superstitions can help and protect people. Sometimes people need to be scared or convinced in to being good. By making a superstition of stories of people who do bad things, people will not want to do them so society will be better. Lies are not all bad, and sometimes help show and teach people how they should act. In the story "Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, in one story a mother tells her daughter if she goes to far on her bike past a corner she will fall and her mother would not see her and be able to help her. Lies like this can help people listen better and be safer. Although they miight not happen, they protect people from making stupid mistakes and hurting themselves.
Although lying is not really a moral activity, everyone has done so at one time or another. It is not good to lie about big things, but with smaller things, white lies are not exactly alright, but not really that bad or life changing either. Parents do so all the time in order to keep order, such as over the dinner table, when they want their kids to eat their vegetables, or when they want them to take a bath. they might say something like "The monster under your bed will eat you if you dont finish your broccoli", or something like that, and because it benefits the child, it isn't as bad as lying about something bigger that will negatively affect the child.
Lies can actually to be beneficial to people up to a certain point. Our current society makes up lies all the time, in order to protect or improve a child's life. Santa Claus is one of the most common stories that are often used to devise lies that will, in the end, benefit the child. For example, when a child refuses to listen to their parents, they might say "You better do what I say. The elves are watching." Of course the child will listen to the parents after hearing this statement. So this fabrication was helpful to the child. But, sometimes if the children discover that the stories are false, they may lose trust in the parents and discontinue believing what they say altogether. So lying in order to benefit someone does have risks and consequences.
Lies are created for different purposes. They can be created to defend, help, harm, and more. Most lies are wrong, however lies that are created to help people act in a correct manner are okay. They should not be created for every single thing, however, they should be used once in a while. If there is a child for example, and the child does not want to brush their teeth before they go to bed, the mother or father could come up with a false, fiction story, or a lie. This will help the child more to brush their teeth, rather then the parents just telling the child to. Some kids do not like to listen to their parents, but they have a better chance of listening to a sotry that is practically bribing them to.
Past a certain point, lies to get people to do things can be a little harsh when reality comes. For example, when they started the rumor or lie of Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, they thought it would make the children who recieve presents more grateful if they behave because "Santa was always watching". But when children find out, they are always very upset that it is not real. This could break the bond of trust between a child and parent, or it could do nothing, depeniding how one takes it in. It is okay to create lies to help or guide, up to a certain point.
I think that it is okay in certain situations to create lies in order to help people act correctly. Many children are taught life lessons through white lies but in the long run these lies are very helpful to them because they will always remember it. Sure, they will someday figure out that you have told them a lie but at that point they will be mature enough to understand why and realize that they will do the same for their children. It is not a bad thing at all since it is done to help others not hurt them, and definitely helps kids grow up correctly. Many of the Chinese mothers in the story tell their children white lies to keep them from doing certain things, but the lies aren't told with the intention of lying, they're told to teach their kids lessons.
As others have argued I agree the it is not ok to lie to people. Lying only creates further problems because a lie is usually just a shortcut or and easy way to get out of things. It is important not to lie to people because it can jeopardize their trust. People who lie usually end up hurting other because once someone finds out they have been lied too they will not trust the person again. In a sense, if a person is at the point where he/she has to lie to someone just to make someone act appropriately shows how weak this person might be. Lying shows that the person can only achieve what he wants by setting a bad example for others. Parents who lie to their children set bad examples, and thus result with the children lying to. Since there really is no good lie it shouldn't be done because no one can draw a line between were it is ok to lie and were it is not. For example if the government would lie to the people about a terrorist threat, no one will be able to trust the government anymore and it would put them in danger.
I feel there is something flawed about people creating lies in order to have one act correctly. The person creating the lie is most likely an elder figure to the other person, and is possibly a parent. Parents teach their kids not to lie at a very young age. I find it hypocritical for a parent to say not to lie then lie right to their childs face. I suppose it isn't all to bad, as long as the lie is only a small one to keep someone safe. A small child believes almost anything their parent says. This can be dangerous when creating these small lies. Eventually the child will figure out they are lies and thus lose small ammounts of faith in his childhood. Also since the parent created this lie instead of telling the real reason why they shouldn't do something can create problems when the lie is figured out because then the person will have no reason to listen to the rule any longer. I feel it is better just to tell them the truth and give them a real reason.
Lies as a general term is something easily connoted as being iniquitous, and is easily put together with other wrongdoings. This is not quite correct, as lying is a very broad term for something other than the truth. In the circumstance that Amy Tan presents the readers with, the act of lying is acceptable. Unlike white lies, the lies that Amy Tan uses in the Joy Luck Club are not trivial by any means, but are used for the purpose of keeping someone safe or making sure one conducts oneself appropriately. These kinds of lies do not have any drawback to the liar, as it usually is overtly displayed as well as, in the case of one discovering the falsehood, it is understood that it was made decidedly for a good cause. The lies are really just superstitions That are intended and act to point someone in the safest and most conductive direction.
Is it ok for people to tell lies in order to manipulate others' behavior? Well, yes and no. Telling lies is definitely not a good technique to help you do things in life, as they all catch up to you eventually. But, small lies in order to keep your child safe and happy, or to make a friend feel good, that is ok. For example, when parents tell their kids that it's santa clause bringing all of the presents under the tree, it makes Christmas all the more fun for them. Usually, they don't find out until they are old enough to not really care. Creating lies and superstitions to make people behave is acceptable with good reason. If you tell a lie to someone only to help YOU, well that is not right. You are just being selfish. So, using small superstitions and "lies" is ok up to a certain point. It's when they start to get bigger and bigger that you have really crossed the line.
In The Joy Luck Club, you can see much of Chinese stories and superstitions that come out when the mothers are raising the kids. Some of these however come off as lies to help the children learn how to behave.
I think it is alright if you are teaching little children this, such as santa, but there is an age where it cannot go on anymore. I don't believe you should live off of these either. Maybe a "lie" here or there, but never tell the children a lie every day. Overall, I think it is best if you just teach your kids to act normally for true reasons, because if they find out that these "lies" aren't true, then the purpose they served in the first place falls through.
People have been using lies as an effective way of tricking people into acting correctly for centuries. Many people have put this act up to debate, challenging its legality and morality. These people are often looking for a simple yes or no, however such a simple answer could never be derived from a topic this complicated and controversial. Is it OK to create lies to improve behavior? Some times it is. Why not tell a child that there is a magical Santa Clause who watches you to see if your behaving correctly, and that if you are good he will bring you presents. Parents could just say, "Hey, if your good all year then I'll give you a present", however this is not as effective. The kid still has freedom to misbehave whenever out of the parents vision. Santa, however, forces them to always be good. The key reason why this lie is OK is because it is beneficial to both parties in the short term and the long term. In the short term the parents know their kids are being good and the kids get presents. In the long term, the kids forgive the parents for lying because they see how they benefited by getting presents and becoming a better person, and the parents can know that they did their job.
Some lies, however, are bad. Even though they are created to improve behavior, just like the good lie mentioned previously, they end up having negative effects. These negative effects are usually seen in the long term. For example, if a parent told their kid "If you shout you will wake up the undead shout monster hiding in your wall behind your bed and he will eat you" there are negative consequences in the long term. In the beginning it might seem like it was a good idea when the kid never shouts. However the negative aspects become apparent later in life once the truth is revealed. The child, who could have been terrified of this all of their life, might not forgive the parent. Also, they soon realize that the only thing preventing them from yelling at their parents was a lie, so they are now free to yell as much as they want. By preventing bad behavior through the use of a detrimental lie, the parent is in effect just delaying bad behavior. No child will follow a rule without backing, and immediately upon realizing a rule lacks backing they will break it.
The key, it seems, is making sure that the lie creates good behavior in the short term, and if both forgivable and understandable once the lie is revealed. When this balance is lost, then lies become damaging once again.
You grow up learning that it is never good to lie. As you get older you might think that lying is okay and you may do it more often, but what is the difference between lying and telling a story? Some of the mothers in the stories create lies/stories to make their children listen to them or do the correct thing. I do believe that lying is really bed but if it won't hurt anyone and all you are trying to do is help someone from getting hurt, then maybe it is OK. In one of the parables the mother tells her daughter about a book how it says that if you go around the corner the you will fall of your bike. This isn't bad, the mother just wants to keep her daughter safe. The daughter might get mad if she finds out bu it is better that the daughter is mad than injured. The story the mother told is just like a fairytale story, they aren't true but they benefit the kid in a certain way. Parents tell their kids that Santa Clause exists and is always watching them so that way they will always behave. I think it is OK t tell a child a story like that but if it gets too big or personal it might end up hurting the child emotionally
It depends what kind of a lie you are creating. I think that the problem people run into when they make lies up to protect people or to have them act a certain way is that when the person eventually finds out they feel betrayed and they start to lose trust in you. One of the biggest "lies" that a lot of us have been talking about is Santa or other imaginary figures. I don't necessarily think that all parents use Santa as a way to have their children act correctly but because if is something children look forward; it makes them happy. Eventually when they find out that it was a lie they get over it. In some regards I think that it is ok to lie. Then again I think that it depends on who you are and what you consider right or wrong to lie about. Now that I am older I don't mind so much about Santa not being real but if it was something bigger than that, I think I would mind.
Yes, I think it is alright to lie to someone if you are protecting them. Not a big lie but a little lie that will protect someone from getting hurt. If you don't want a little kid to get hurt on a ride, you tell them that it is under construction. It isn't a big lie, and they are niave enough to believe that the ride is really under construction, because you are older and they will believe what you say. Lying a little lie to someone is not bad if you are trying to stop them from getting hurt. But if it is a big lie that you must weave, then it is probably better to tell the truth.
It's a difficult question, so I believe it depends. For young children, they have trouble seeing the world in a realistic way. they don't understand the dangers, so putting it in a way that they can understand is not a bad thing. However, there is always a limit. I do not believe it is right to do so if you are trying to make them act in a certain way, only to protect them. also, when children become older, they may feel it is an insult to their intelligence to b lied to so obviously, since they then have a better understanding of what may really happen as a consequence to their actions.
Everyone always says it's not okay to lie. However, everyone does it. Superstitions and lies are, in theory, not good to create, but when you are either protecting or trying to help someone, we tend to think it's okay. In my opinion, lying to someone to protect them or have it benefit them in some way is okay. It shows your thinking of them and just want to help them out. If you are trying to get someone to act correctly as well, it is okay. Little kids, for example, tend to believe anything. Adults and even teenagers tell lies to little kids to help them behave and learn lessons. This is not a crime. Kids need to learn somehow, so usually telling little white lies get them to listen.
The lies in that are talked about in these stories are ok to tell because they protect people. Certain lies are good and certain lies are bad. It is ok to lie when it is for a good reason or something good and unharmful will come from it. It is bad to lie however when it makes things worse for any parties invlved including yourself. The lies that Amy an talks about are ok because they protect the kids and teach them valuable lessons.
Lying in order to help people is, in a way, both good and bad. It is good because you are helping people, however it is dishonest. It may even be better to tell the person the truth in order to help them without being false. In the Chinese traditions, lies are created as superstitions and stories to make life more interesting, or to help people act in the correct manner. This could be difficult, though, because if someone asks for more depth on the subject, you may find yourself getting tangled into a complex lie, which is never good.
When people hear the term "lying" they think of people who are unjust. However, there are exceptions where lying is okay. Lying to protect someone or help them is not just seen in Chinese culture, it is seen in ours as well. Most parents have probably told a little white lie to their kids in order to keep them out of trouble, and most people have probably lied to their friends once or twice to make them feel better or help them out in some way or another. Also, it is okay to lie to a certain extent in order for people to act correctly. If you need someone to behave certainly or follow rules more intently, then lying a little may be necessary.
25 comments:
Creating "lies" is a harsh term towards looking at the beliefs that many Chinese people, as well as other people from different cultures, look at life. These beliefs were once started to create an interesting aspect of life, and to create a fun way of how things are formed or made. These "lies" are OK to use in society because of the understanding of people. They know the belief is not necessarily true, but a fun way about looking at their society and how things came about.
The lies created to make people act appropriately seem to be OK to use when they are not looked in depth. Usually, when someone goes in to depth about these lies, the lies seem wrong and falsely used. In general, when not looked very far into, these lies are a fun and creative way to make children behave for their parents, or even parents behave towards society.
When looked into depth, however, these lies seem wrong and many people point fingers towards the people that started these myths. However, we do not know who started Santa, or other holiday characters. Either way, when gone into depth, these characters do not seem like the right way to make children behave. Parents should come up of better consequences instead of getting the help from fictional characters that they know do not exist, and will later disappoint their child when they find out the character is indeed made up.
I believe that the "lies" and superstitions that are created to help people act correctly are okay up to a certain point. When you are a young child, you don't really want to listen to your parents and think that they are always wrong. However, if santa will give you presents if you do something right, then the kid is sure to do it. Children like to be rewarded for what they do correctly, and santa is the perfect thing for children to believe in to make them behave correctly so they learn it for later. However, I don't think that the parent should continue telling these lies as they get older. There is a certain point in a child's life when the parent has to just trust them to do the right thing. The kid should know how to act correctly, and the parents should believe that they will if they have taught them correctly.
It is not OK to create lies and have people to believe them in order to help people act correctly. If someone started to tell you lies and stories that are meant to protect and help you act correctly, you are going to believe this until somoene tells you that it is not true. Once someone tells you that you have been told lies for many years now, it makes you question how much trust you have in that person that has been making up all of the stories. They have lied to you all your life, so what makes you think that they will stop telling these lies and fake stories. Also, if parents just tell their children the truth from when they are little, then they will grow to learn what is right or wrong. They won't have to be tricked into being good or acting correctly because they were told what is right and what is wrong. The earlier that parents teach their children the correct way to behave, the more practice the children will have to be able to act that way. It is not fair to the people that are told the lies and the stories to, because then they can never be sure who to believe. They may also have a hard time grasping the concept of how to act correctly when they are slightly older, but if they were younger and were taught the right thing, then they probably would have already grown up with the right actions in mind.
It is not ok to lie because, no matter what, it sets a bad example. Although telling your children that if they don't check twice, the doors might unlock during the night will help them remember to do that, as they get older, they'll realize that it was a lie. From there, they could think that if it doesn't seem to hurt anyone, lying is ok. Also, where do you draw the line between a "good" lie and a "bad" lie. Saying that if it hurts someone, then it's bad does not work because to what extent are you talking about? Does someone getting emotionally scarred from a lie equal a person being a little bothered? No it does not. Because there is no way to really tell if a lie is ok, it should not be used, even to try to help.
As wrong as it sounds, everyone has lied about something. Weather it was a big lie or a small lie, people lie to protect themselves or others. Most of the time, people lie without thinking of the consequences before. Even though this does happen, I don't believe that it's ok to create lies and have people believe in them in order to help people act correctly. If you tell someone a lie, it may end worse than you intended. Even if it's something small, it could be turned into something bigger than wanted. Lying tells others, mostly kids, that's it's not a bad thing to lie. If this goes on, small lies will turn into big lies thinking it's alright.
When you're a little kid, you believe almost anything you hear. As you get older, you do not believe as much and are able to start thinking about what is going on. If you continue to lie to kids as they get older they will realize all the lies they had been told. This could end as a result of lost trust. Trust is more important than having someone believe a lie. Also, you may get so use to lying you will not know what to do when you can not control your children after they start knowing the difference between reality and fantasy. Overall, lying will not get you through problems and it's better to tell the truth, eventually even a lie will hurt someone more than protect them.
I Believe that that it is not ok to create lies in order to, basically trick another person into believe something that isn't true. Nobody wants to be lied to, and telling someone a lie to help or protect them is not the right idea. First, the victim of the lie could become afraid to do certain things because of the lie. For example, if a mother tells a child that talking to strangers will cause you to develop sores on your face. This child may always be too afraid to ever talk to a new person ever again. Although it is unlikely that anyone could actually follow this, there is still a chance.
Although lies are thought of as bad, some small lies and superstitions can help and protect people. Sometimes people need to be scared or convinced in to being good. By making a superstition of stories of people who do bad things, people will not want to do them so society will be better. Lies are not all bad, and sometimes help show and teach people how they should act. In the story "Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, in one story a mother tells her daughter if she goes to far on her bike past a corner she will fall and her mother would not see her and be able to help her. Lies like this can help people listen better and be safer. Although they miight not happen, they protect people from making stupid mistakes and hurting themselves.
Although lying is not really a moral activity, everyone has done so at one time or another. It is not good to lie about big things, but with smaller things, white lies are not exactly alright, but not really that bad or life changing either. Parents do so all the time in order to keep order, such as over the dinner table, when they want their kids to eat their vegetables, or when they want them to take a bath. they might say something like "The monster under your bed will eat you if you dont finish your broccoli", or something like that, and because it benefits the child, it isn't as bad as lying about something bigger that will negatively affect the child.
Lies can actually to be beneficial to people up to a certain point. Our current society makes up lies all the time, in order to protect or improve a child's life. Santa Claus is one of the most common stories that are often used to devise lies that will, in the end, benefit the child. For example, when a child refuses to listen to their parents, they might say "You better do what I say. The elves are watching." Of course the child will listen to the parents after hearing this statement. So this fabrication was helpful to the child. But, sometimes if the children discover that the stories are false, they may lose trust in the parents and discontinue believing what they say altogether. So lying in order to benefit someone does have risks and consequences.
Lies are created for different purposes. They can be created to defend, help, harm, and more. Most lies are wrong, however lies that are created to help people act in a correct manner are okay. They should not be created for every single thing, however, they should be used once in a while. If there is a child for example, and the child does not want to brush their teeth before they go to bed, the mother or father could come up with a false, fiction story, or a lie. This will help the child more to brush their teeth, rather then the parents just telling the child to. Some kids do not like to listen to their parents, but they have a better chance of listening to a sotry that is practically bribing them to.
Past a certain point, lies to get people to do things can be a little harsh when reality comes. For example, when they started the rumor or lie of Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, they thought it would make the children who recieve presents more grateful if they behave because "Santa was always watching". But when children find out, they are always very upset that it is not real. This could break the bond of trust between a child and parent, or it could do nothing, depeniding how one takes it in. It is okay to create lies to help or guide, up to a certain point.
I think that it is okay in certain situations to create lies in order to help people act correctly. Many children are taught life lessons through white lies but in the long run these lies are very helpful to them because they will always remember it. Sure, they will someday figure out that you have told them a lie but at that point they will be mature enough to understand why and realize that they will do the same for their children. It is not a bad thing at all since it is done to help others not hurt them, and definitely helps kids grow up correctly. Many of the Chinese mothers in the story tell their children white lies to keep them from doing certain things, but the lies aren't told with the intention of lying, they're told to teach their kids lessons.
As others have argued I agree the it is not ok to lie to people. Lying only creates further problems because a lie is usually just a shortcut or and easy way to get out of things. It is important not to lie to people because it can jeopardize their trust. People who lie usually end up hurting other because once someone finds out they have been lied too they will not trust the person again. In a sense, if a person is at the point where he/she has to lie to someone just to make someone act appropriately shows how weak this person might be. Lying shows that the person can only achieve what he wants by setting a bad example for others. Parents who lie to their children set bad examples, and thus result with the children lying to. Since there really is no good lie it shouldn't be done because no one can draw a line between were it is ok to lie and were it is not. For example if the government would lie to the people about a terrorist threat, no one will be able to trust the government anymore and it would put them in danger.
I feel there is something flawed about people creating lies in order to have one act correctly. The person creating the lie is most likely an elder figure to the other person, and is possibly a parent. Parents teach their kids not to lie at a very young age. I find it hypocritical for a parent to say not to lie then lie right to their childs face.
I suppose it isn't all to bad, as long as the lie is only a small one to keep someone safe. A small child believes almost anything their parent says. This can be dangerous when creating these small lies. Eventually the child will figure out they are lies and thus lose small ammounts of faith in his childhood. Also since the parent created this lie instead of telling the real reason why they shouldn't do something can create problems when the lie is figured out because then the person will have no reason to listen to the rule any longer. I feel it is better just to tell them the truth and give them a real reason.
Lies as a general term is something easily connoted as being iniquitous, and is easily put together with other wrongdoings. This is not quite correct, as lying is a very broad term for something other than the truth. In the circumstance that Amy Tan presents the readers with, the act of lying is acceptable. Unlike white lies, the lies that Amy Tan uses in the Joy Luck Club are not trivial by any means, but are used for the purpose of keeping someone safe or making sure one conducts oneself appropriately. These kinds of lies do not have any drawback to the liar, as it usually is overtly displayed as well as, in the case of one discovering the falsehood, it is understood that it was made decidedly for a good cause. The lies are really just superstitions That are intended and act to point someone in the safest and most conductive direction.
Is it ok for people to tell lies in order to manipulate others' behavior? Well, yes and no. Telling lies is definitely not a good technique to help you do things in life, as they all catch up to you eventually. But, small lies in order to keep your child safe and happy, or to make a friend feel good, that is ok. For example, when parents tell their kids that it's santa clause bringing all of the presents under the tree, it makes Christmas all the more fun for them. Usually, they don't find out until they are old enough to not really care. Creating lies and superstitions to make people behave is acceptable with good reason. If you tell a lie to someone only to help YOU, well that is not right. You are just being selfish. So, using small superstitions and "lies" is ok up to a certain point. It's when they start to get bigger and bigger that you have really crossed the line.
In The Joy Luck Club, you can see much of Chinese stories and superstitions that come out when the mothers are raising the kids. Some of these however come off as lies to help the children learn how to behave.
I think it is alright if you are teaching little children this, such as santa, but there is an age where it cannot go on anymore. I don't believe you should live off of these either. Maybe a "lie" here or there, but never tell the children a lie every day. Overall, I think it is best if you just teach your kids to act normally for true reasons, because if they find out that these "lies" aren't true, then the purpose they served in the first place falls through.
People have been using lies as an effective way of tricking people into acting correctly for centuries. Many people have put this act up to debate, challenging its legality and morality. These people are often looking for a simple yes or no, however such a simple answer could never be derived from a topic this complicated and controversial. Is it OK to create lies to improve behavior? Some times it is. Why not tell a child that there is a magical Santa Clause who watches you to see if your behaving correctly, and that if you are good he will bring you presents. Parents could just say, "Hey, if your good all year then I'll give you a present", however this is not as effective. The kid still has freedom to misbehave whenever out of the parents vision. Santa, however, forces them to always be good. The key reason why this lie is OK is because it is beneficial to both parties in the short term and the long term. In the short term the parents know their kids are being good and the kids get presents. In the long term, the kids forgive the parents for lying because they see how they benefited by getting presents and becoming a better person, and the parents can know that they did their job.
Some lies, however, are bad. Even though they are created to improve behavior, just like the good lie mentioned previously, they end up having negative effects. These negative effects are usually seen in the long term. For example, if a parent told their kid "If you shout you will wake up the undead shout monster hiding in your wall behind your bed and he will eat you" there are negative consequences in the long term. In the beginning it might seem like it was a good idea when the kid never shouts. However the negative aspects become apparent later in life once the truth is revealed. The child, who could have been terrified of this all of their life, might not forgive the parent. Also, they soon realize that the only thing preventing them from yelling at their parents was a lie, so they are now free to yell as much as they want. By preventing bad behavior through the use of a detrimental lie, the parent is in effect just delaying bad behavior. No child will follow a rule without backing, and immediately upon realizing a rule lacks backing they will break it.
The key, it seems, is making sure that the lie creates good behavior in the short term, and if both forgivable and understandable once the lie is revealed. When this balance is lost, then lies become damaging once again.
You grow up learning that it is never good to lie. As you get older you might think that lying is okay and you may do it more often, but what is the difference between lying and telling a story? Some of the mothers in the stories create lies/stories to make their children listen to them or do the correct thing. I do believe that lying is really bed but if it won't hurt anyone and all you are trying to do is help someone from getting hurt, then maybe it is OK. In one of the parables the mother tells her daughter about a book how it says that if you go around the corner the you will fall of your bike. This isn't bad, the mother just wants to keep her daughter safe. The daughter might get mad if she finds out bu it is better that the daughter is mad than injured. The story the mother told is just like a fairytale story, they aren't true but they benefit the kid in a certain way. Parents tell their kids that Santa Clause exists and is always watching them so that way they will always behave. I think it is OK t tell a child a story like that but if it gets too big or personal it might end up hurting the child emotionally
It depends what kind of a lie you are creating. I think that the problem people run into when they make lies up to protect people or to have them act a certain way is that when the person eventually finds out they feel betrayed and they start to lose trust in you. One of the biggest "lies" that a lot of us have been talking about is Santa or other imaginary figures. I don't necessarily think that all parents use Santa as a way to have their children act correctly but because if is something children look forward; it makes them happy. Eventually when they find out that it was a lie they get over it. In some regards I think that it is ok to lie. Then again I think that it depends on who you are and what you consider right or wrong to lie about. Now that I am older I don't mind so much about Santa not being real but if it was something bigger than that, I think I would mind.
Yes, I think it is alright to lie to someone if you are protecting them. Not a big lie but a little lie that will protect someone from getting hurt. If you don't want a little kid to get hurt on a ride, you tell them that it is under construction. It isn't a big lie, and they are niave enough to believe that the ride is really under construction, because you are older and they will believe what you say. Lying a little lie to someone is not bad if you are trying to stop them from getting hurt. But if it is a big lie that you must weave, then it is probably better to tell the truth.
It's a difficult question, so I believe it depends. For young children, they have trouble seeing the world in a realistic way. they don't understand the dangers, so putting it in a way that they can understand is not a bad thing. However, there is always a limit. I do not believe it is right to do so if you are trying to make them act in a certain way, only to protect them. also, when children become older, they may feel it is an insult to their intelligence to b lied to so obviously, since they then have a better understanding of what may really happen as a consequence to their actions.
Everyone always says it's not okay to lie. However, everyone does it. Superstitions and lies are, in theory, not good to create, but when you are either protecting or trying to help someone, we tend to think it's okay. In my opinion, lying to someone to protect them or have it benefit them in some way is okay. It shows your thinking of them and just want to help them out. If you are trying to get someone to act correctly as well, it is okay. Little kids, for example, tend to believe anything. Adults and even teenagers tell lies to little kids to help them behave and learn lessons. This is not a crime. Kids need to learn somehow, so usually telling little white lies get them to listen.
The lies in that are talked about in these stories are ok to tell because they protect people. Certain lies are good and certain lies are bad. It is ok to lie when it is for a good reason or something good and unharmful will come from it. It is bad to lie however when it makes things worse for any parties invlved including yourself. The lies that Amy an talks about are ok because they protect the kids and teach them valuable lessons.
Lying in order to help people is, in a way, both good and bad. It is good because you are helping people, however it is dishonest. It may even be better to tell the person the truth in order to help them without being false. In the Chinese traditions, lies are created as superstitions and stories to make life more interesting, or to help people act in the correct manner. This could be difficult, though, because if someone asks for more depth on the subject, you may find yourself getting tangled into a complex lie, which is never good.
When people hear the term "lying" they think of people who are unjust. However, there are exceptions where lying is okay. Lying to protect someone or help them is not just seen in Chinese culture, it is seen in ours as well. Most parents have probably told a little white lie to their kids in order to keep them out of trouble, and most people have probably lied to their friends once or twice to make them feel better or help them out in some way or another. Also, it is okay to lie to a certain extent in order for people to act correctly. If you need someone to behave certainly or follow rules more intently, then lying a little may be necessary.
Post a Comment