Monday, July 14, 2008
Discussion Question #9
Okay... I have actually been struggling with this one. In my logical mind, I know that "shielding" someone from a circumstance that is unfortunate, uncomfortable, possibly detrimental ( literally and figuratively ) is wrong! I mean... you may think you have thought about all of the ramifications, but somehow, you miss something because you can't foresee the future. You really don't know how the other person(s) might respond or what makes them respond the way that they do. I do believe that there are situations that are not as devastating as this one, where "omitting" or somehow changing the course of events MAY be warranted. Even in those instances, sometimes what may have been considered minor can mushroom into something that no one ever thought about. Essentially, when you do this you are lying. I know that you want to shield/protect your loved ones, but it is always better to tell the truth and deal with the reality rather than lie and alter the course of events for the sake of "protecting" ,and I use that loosely, your loved one or yourself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
There certainly are circumstances where you may shield someone from the truth so you don’t hurt them, however one must do this with intentions of telling the truth eventually when the time is right. For example, how do you respond to a 4 year-old child where babies come from? You don’t necessarily tell them the truth…they are just way too young to understand the reproduction concept. Sometimes, parents aren’t exactly honest with their kids. For example, when we came to the United States from Venezuela, I was told that we were coming on vacation. As a third grader I didn’t want to leave my friends. Eventually my parents had to tell me (when I went to get all my immunizations for school). It was tough, I was 8 and still remember that day like it was yesterday, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My parents gave me peace of mind for the majority of the summer. I think if they would have told me from the beginning I would have been a nervous wreck. Obstructing someone from the truth is never good. Eventually the truth will come out.
Yeah... but children is waaaaay different from what we are discussing here... there is an understanding that children depending on the age cannot deal with too much information or certain subject matter. David is not a child... I think adults have to bite the bullet and tell the truth because adults are in control per se of their own destiny. Denying them the truth immediately and inevitably will alter the course of events.
You are right, I guess I never thought of it that way. True, though, adults should be truthful! Cheaters never prosper! lol
No I can't. The ramifications are too great! When we hide a secret or in my opinion lie, it manifest and it turns ugly! David lied, he had to lie again when they had the funeral. He couldn't talk about it just like his past and he could not move on with his life. I know sometimes the truth will hurt, but the lie will hurt worst once the individual finds out. I know of a situation where a young girl found out she was adopted at 18. Her parents did not tell her, a "friend" did. Her parents had no intention of telling her. She was devastated not because she was mistreated or did not love her family, but because she was lied to. She is dealing with it and it is very difficult. Another situation has just come up in my family where my nephrew's mother is in jail and his Aunts and my brother have decided not to tell him the truth. They are telling him she is somewhere getting help. He is 16, he is going to find out the truth and when he does, I know he is not going to be happy that they lied to him.
Post a Comment