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Can lying sometimes be excused to spare someone's feelings?

yes, everyone lies, anyone who says otherwise is lying.

For example, if someone has had a new haircut that they think is great, but in actual fact looks awful, and theres nothing they can do to change it now, is there really any harm in saying "Wow, it's really nice" just to make them feel better?

Just think of the insane question " do I look fat?"
There is your answer

yes. if i tell the truth and say to my girl her haircut is very bad i won't be getting any... so i lie and say you look great.

I think a little lie to spare fealings is ok. But mostly I tried to be honest. Like the hair cute exemple I'd tell the truth.

to a guy i'd say dude your hair cut is horrible... just not a woman

see, I wouldn't, cos if there's nothing they can do to change it (eg, can't afford to get it re-done), you're just gonna make them feel bad by saying that its bad

im also honest, im known for being bruttally honest with people, but i still lie occasionally, as everyone does.

I think white lies are better than big fights and broken friendships

lol You dont have to say it looks awfull. Try something like...I liked it better the way it was.

So use it differently or wear a hat

Lies are the only thing that hold relationships together!

But if you don't tell them, they may get it done the same way next time. And it's me you are talking about isn't it? you don't like my new haircut

*hugs Corran*

it's special, just like you!

if someone got a haircut i didnt like, i would have no trouble telling them i dont like it. if it looks horrible, id tell them i think its excruciating to look at. im like that with everyone, and people are like that with me because of it, and thats how i like it.

See I know you are lying already. http://www.killermovies.com/forums/images/moresmilies/curlers.gif

Yeh cos I think my friends would like to know if t looks good or not.
Mostly I dont even notice

i always lye to make people feel better or to get me out of trouble so yeah itts ok to lye unless it ends up hurting sumone and its not the truth cause u can never protect ur sefl from a lyer

If it's over a haircut or something like that then I don't see anything wrong with it. But lying to people about something that may be extremely important definitely isn't right.

I prefer to say the truth, sometimes in a toned down version, but to me tell the truth is important.

As an answer to your question, I would say that the example of the haircut belongs to what I call PR, as it is used in companies (Maybe this word is not a very good one, but anyway...), i.e our being with other people, which I think is some kind of social mask... The fact is you never reveal yourself completely and utterly to others...So it's kinda normal...

"Oh, you've got a new haircut ! It's great, (but personally, I prefered your former one)"

I like to be honest with people all the time. SO if a person SUCKS then i'll them.

never

I prefer sticking to the truth but I wont ouright lie to spare someones feeling. For example if they've had their hair cut and it looks crap I wont say it looks crap and I wont say it looks good either, I'll tell them it doesn't look as good as the last time or something...

lies attract lies. but sometimes lies prevent an argument. So sometimes you have to lie unless you like sleeping on the coach or being made to feel like shit for weeks to come because woman never let you forget

*backflash*

well, at least two people here (FM and evy_o) know by now what I think of lying...

imho, if you lie, you don't respect the other person and when someone lies to me, that person will have an extremely difficult time to get me to talk to him/her ever again, I'm quite severe in that as I absolutely HATE lies (bad experience years ago with a "friend"

One of my friends has a psychological condition meaning that she can't help herself from making up things. It sounds strange but it's real. I feel really sorry for her because nobody trusts her and it's not her fault!

lies do the most damage to the person telling the lie assuming that person is aware, most people arent lying is like breathing to some people, but if your aware when telling the lie it always comes back to haunt you

I don't think of little white lies so much s lying, but of being inventive with the truth...


you know, like saying "wow!" when they ask you what you think of something - cos you may mean bad wow, but they can interpret it as good wow!

that's their fault then?

no-one's fault!

the best fault there is...

though I still blame it on the others

Yeh...not lying as in lying. More like work the truth. Make it a bit softer

Bend the truth to your needs.

that's still lying, imho

Not to my needs. Like the hair thing. I wouldnt say:"I think its horrible."
I'd say: "I liked it better the way it was."

Yeah, making it easier for other people to bear is not lying.