A white lie would be something you would say to not hurt someones feelings. "Those jeans certainly don't make your azz look big"........

According to Bill Clinton, there is no such thing as a white lie.

So intention determines the evil of the lie?

No but sometimes the truth cannot be appropriate. Depending on the situation.

When is the truth inappropriate?


Is it easier to tell the "white lie" than to find a way to say the truth tactfully?

OK. Lets say a person asks you over for dinner. The dinner tastes so bad you wouldn't even feed it to your dog. What would you say? I would say sorry but I'm just not very hungry and stop at Wendys on the way home.....Little White Lie.......

How about no lie and when asked you omit the fact that is wasn't good and just say you are done?

I have told people that I did not like their food. Too salty for me or whatever. I always say sorry when I have to tell them something that might hurt their feelings. Not everyone likes everything the same. Right?

The origin is interesting...

It’s based on the ancient Western idea of polar opposites, represented in popular culture through white meaning good and black its evil antithesis. We have white magic, for example, beneficent magic that’s opposed to the malign black variety. The term white paternoster meant a prayer or charm recited to protect against evil at night (of which one version that survives is the old children’s rhyme “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Bless the bed that I lie on”). The opposite was a black paternoster, a spell recited to conjure up evil spirits or devils.
Along the same lines, a white lie is one that lacks evil intent, as opposed to a black lie, which is most certainly malevolent, though normally we don’t bother to specify that lies are evil. A white lie is harmless or trivial, frequently one said in order to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. The term is first found in the eighteenth century, when it suggested something slightly different:
A certain Lady of the highest Quality ... makes a judicious Distinction between a white Lie and a black Lie. A white Lie is That which is not intended to injure any Body in his Fortune, Interest, or Reputation but only to gratify a garrulous Disposition and the Itch of amusing People by telling Them wonderful Stories.

That is true but what if they really put in alot of effort into it. It isn't like you don't appreciate the gesture. The chicken just tastes like wood. Nobody wants to hurt anyones feelings. I certainly wouldn't if it could be avoided......

Who determined black was evil?

I remember in my search for religion I found in a Wiccan book that the author did not refer to bad magic as black magic because the black is a power color and does have power of good.

I am asking because I was recently asked to tell a "white lie" and wouldn't do it but was curious as to what people believed of it.

I believe lies are just lies no category needed.

That is why I say "sorry" and "not meaning to be hurtful".

The way I figure, if I lie about the food, the next time I go over there, they will cook " what I like" again and I will have to repeat the same "white lie" again and again. Right?