When we were children, adults would always tell us to speak the truth and never lie. But as we grow older we learn that no person in the world is entirely truthful. In many scenarios people don’t recognize that they have told a lie. Lies are widespread that they seem like it’s the truth. Some lies are harmless and aren’t a big issue. In some cases telling a lie is more appropriate than telling the truth. One reason it is sometimes better to lie than to tell the truth is because it won’t hurt someone’s feelings. Some people feel bad, upset, and embarrassed when they are told the truth because they were told something they didn’t want to hear. For example, if your friend wore a new outfit and you thought it looked hideous and didn’t like the way your friend looked. What would you tell your friend? You most likely wouldn’t tell them that they looked stupid and you hated the way it looked. Instead, you would try to be respectful. Even though you don’t like the way they look, you should say something like “I like your new outfit. It looks nice on you”.
At the end of the day, you will see that your friendship will grow stronger and your friend will be more polite to you since you complimented their outfit and that was what they wanted to hear from you. Another reason it is sometimes better to lie than to tell the truth is because then we don’t have to do things we are pressured into doing. Sometimes we think to ourselves that no one can make us do something we don’t want to do. As an effect, we tell a lie to get out of doing something other people want us to do. For example, say a group of your friends wanted to go out to a restaurant, and they called you to see if you wanted to join them. You asked where they were planning to eat, and they said “Mexican Seafood House.” Then you remembered that you hated that place because their food tasted terrible, but instead of telling your friends that, you lie and tell them that you have another prior social commitment.
That way you don’t have to go without telling your friends the truth, and you don’t damage the relationship you have with your friends. In the Zoroastrian religion we are taught in all cases to practice “Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds” in our daily lives. Telling lies in any form, fashion, or situation does not fit within these teachings. The Zoroastrian religion in its purest form teaches and implies that telling lies either big or small or in any situation should not be done. When a person attains the highest purest form in practicing the Zoroastrian religion he or she will never lie in any situation.
In conclusion, telling a lie is not acceptable, but in the realistic world today this may seem sometimes impractical. Telling a lie can keep special relationships and friendships or to save the situation. We tell lies in many ways and in some cases it is better than telling the truth. In my opinion, whenever a situation arises that cannot be circumvented by telling the truth it is best to find ways to avoid that situation without telling a lie. Practicing this form of avoiding and minimizing telling lies continuously and repeatedly brings us closer to better practicing Zoroastrianism’s essential teachings of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.
