A Noble Lie
A noble lie is a lie that helps to
keep in order the state, such as maintaining social harmony and making people
happier. There is a phrase that says: "If at the end of the day the lie
does less harm than the truth, the lie is better". I completely agree with
this argument and there are many examples that validate that I'm in the right
track.
In my opinion, everything that makes a person feel
better without harming another one should be done. This is the case
of the Noble Lie. The purpose of the Noble Lie is to try to don't make any bad
to an individual. It can be hiding something or inventing something. For
example, that’s the case of the existence of Santa Claus. When parents lie
about Santa, they are not only creating illusion on the kids, but also
encouraging them to be good. This type of lie creates something good on kids
and doesn't harm them, being completely positive. Another case of a noble lie
is when Plato presented it in a fictional tale, wherein Socrates provides the
origin of the three social classes who composed the republic. Socrates speaks
of a socially stratified society, wherein the populace is told “a sort of
Phoenician tale”. Socrates proposes and claims that if the people believed this
myth it would have a good effect, making them more inclined to care for the
state and one another.
In conclusion, the results of a Noble Lie are positive. The
only purpose of a Noble Lie is to make good in people creating a better
society. If the lie doesn’t harm anybody else, I would totally agree with it.
I'm not exactly sure what to think about the noble lie...
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, it politely glazes over the truth in order to cause someone to be or more happiness. On the other hand, the effects that stem from the noble lie are often temporary (unless you're some sort of Sage of Secrets who can manipulate the people around you so that everything goes exactly as you plan) and can potentially break down trust between you and the person/people you told the lie to. Once that trust has been broken, it could be difficult to establish, depending on the significance and frequency of these types of lies. The person who discovers that they have been lied to may look for other situations in which you may have lied to them, and the more lies told, the more difficult it will be to rebuild that trust, and the more likely that person will feel disrespected and worthless to you.
Is it really necessary to tell children that there is a magical man creeping on them year-round at all hours of the day so that they'll behave in order to benefit themselves with more presents? Better question- is it really even all that effective? How often did you think about Santa through the years in which you believed?
It seems to me that it would be just as effective to sit a child down and make sure that they understand that you have a deal with them that spans year-round. For instance, you could say, "Here's the deal, son/daughter: If you're good all year round, I'll get you a lot of presents for Christmas, but if you're bad, then I'll get you less presents, or punish you with coal instead. Don't think you can get away with things while I'm not around, because I'm going to find out; other people will tell me when you misbehave."
Even though the truth may be difficult to handle (in the child's case, they may have difficulty interacting with peers who believe in Santa Claus), telling the truth will build a stronger relationship over time.
And even though I say all this, it doesn't stop me from regularly lying to children in order to spare their feelings. So again, I'm not really sure where I stand when it comes to the noble lie.