Two kinds of lies (DW#292)
A lie is any statement, spoken or written, that is intended to deceive or withhold information from another.
Lies of commission: A lie of commission happens when we say something that is not a fact or simply not true. It is when we are twisting the truth to create a (usually more favorable) version of something that happened.
Suppose it was raining outside and you asked me about the weather in Toronto as you were packing to arrive here. "It is bright and sunny right now", I say. You would now be making a decision to dress for sunny weather based on the wrong information you were given.
The fact that it was raining is an objective fact which can be seen and experienced by anyone who is present. It is also easy to verify it after the fact by simply checking the weather channel.
Lies of omission: Lies of omission occur when we intentionally leave out an important fact to foster a misrepresentation. These are also known as continuing misrepresentations.
Lies of omission also happen when someone is misinformed about a particular matter and we fail to speak up to clear up the misunderstanding so that they continue to remain misinformed. Or when we intentionally leave out an important detail from the conversation.
These kinds of statements are harder to spot and take less effort from us when we choose to withhold the full picture. We can also fool ourselves into believing that we are not really doing anything wrong.
The breaking of trust that as a result of withholding the truth is the same and as damaging to the health of any relationship.
These kinds of lies are often told in the context of selling something (and in close relationships when there is a major betrayal in progress)
For example, if we are buying a used car and the salesperson neglects to tell us important details which would lead us to make a different decision, this would be a lie of omission.
Although he may technically not have told an untruth, hiding important information about the car would lead you to make a less than optimal decision for yourself and therefore you subsequently lose trust in the salesperson.
Can you think of any other kinds of lies that we (or others) tell?
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