The WHITE LIE PIE Mini-Tool for HONESTY

Thd WHITE LIE Pie: One of the most important things parents can teach their children is honesty. But there is a big grey area called the “white lie,” and it’s not easy to define. We lie about Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy - because it’s fun. We lie about our own problems when we tell people that everything is fine — so they don’t worry. We lie when we say someone made a beautiful painting or wrote a beautiful poem - when it’s not. We lie when we say we’re happy to see Aunt Margaret’s husband, who cheats on her — when we’re not. It’s important to know the difference between a real lie and white lie so that we can act appropriately respectful, polite, and kind in situations that call for such behavior. But it’s tricky. One way to know if it’s a real lie or a white lie is to ask ourselves the six questions on the WHITE LIE PIE. If the answer to ANY of these is yes, then it’s a real lie — and it’s wrong. We tell a white lie when we are trying to protect someone else from unnecessary hurt, damage, or loss (who doesn’t deserve to be hurt or experience the loss), AND there is no gain to us for doing so.