Would you lie to help yourself?

[CritFromAfar]

Say that the grim reaper wanted you to trick someone into making themselves look bad, by lying about them to others, and says that you should do it by tricking them into looking crazy. If you don't do it, he says he would shorten your life by 50 years, and if you do, everyone will hate you for lying. Would you do it?

Personally I wouldn't. There are too many horrible aspects about life to want to make it worse for others.

[Ghostpanther]

Say that the grim reaper wanted you to trick someone into making themselves look bad, by lying about them to others, and says that you should do it by tricking them into looking crazy. If you don't do it, he says he would shorten your life by 50 years, and if you do, everyone will hate you for lying. Would you do it?

Personally I wouldn't. There are too many horrible aspects about life to want to make it worse for others.

First off, there is no Grim Reaper. There is a tempter however. But I would never lie to harm others, just to benefit myself.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Yep absolutely.

[nonameelf]

Isn't this kind of a requirement for job interviews?

[Lynarii]

As an arbitrary unrealistic scenario, nobody's answers actually mean anything.

It's very easy to say that you would 'do the right thing' in a scenario that you KNOW you will never actually have to face. In real world scenarios, most people deal with 'should I lie to help myself' scenarios with looking for a way to get the thing that they want in a manner that doesn't involve lying, because reality is rarely so black and white as "lying = success, truth = failure".

[Ghostpanther]

As an arbitrary unrealistic scenario, nobody's answers actually mean anything.

It's very easy to say that you would 'do the right thing' in a scenario that you KNOW you will never actually have to face. In real world scenarios, most people deal with 'should I lie to help myself' scenarios with looking for a way to get the thing that they want in a manner that doesn't involve lying, because reality is rarely so black and white as "lying = success, truth = failure".

This is true. But one needs to have some standards for themselves I believe. If you do not think you would, then odds are you won't. Developing a mind set on what is right, is important in doing what is right.

[CritFromAfar]

First off, there is no Grim Reaper. There is a tempter however. But I would never lie to harm others, just to benefit myself.

It's a hypothetical situation. I believe in neither.

In this case the two are the same thing.

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As an arbitrary unrealistic scenario, nobody's answers actually mean anything.

It's very easy to say that you would 'do the right thing' in a scenario that you KNOW you will never actually have to face. In real world scenarios, most people deal with 'should I lie to help myself' scenarios with looking for a way to get the thing that they want in a manner that doesn't involve lying, because reality is rarely so black and white as "lying = success, truth = failure".

You would think that would be true, but RPG's prove otherwise, don't they? All you have to do is imagine yourself in a scenario where you would use it, and bam, you have your answer. I'm not sure why people have such a hard time with this.

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Yep absolutely.

Not surprised.

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Isn't this kind of a requirement for job interviews?

No, I'm pretty sure lying is the opposite of what you're supposed to do.

[nonameelf]

No, I'm pretty sure lying is the opposite of what you're supposed to do.

Ah, so when they ask you a question like, "What's your biggest weakness?" you tell them the truth?

[Lynarii]

This is true. But one needs to have some standards for themselves I believe. If you do not think you would, then odds are you won't. Developing a mind set on what is right, is important in doing what is right.

The point is, at least what I'm trying to say, is that very very few people can even say for themselves how they would act if well and truly pressed. There are people who think themselves good people who do horrible things when their back is against the wall, and there are also people who never thought they were anything special who go above and beyond when they are faced with a true need to.

When a person answers a question like this, particularly on an anonymous forum, it tells you way more about the persona that they are choosing to display than it does about how they would actually behave. That's not even saying that people are lying. People decide who they want to be. They learn who they are. (And then, hopefully, they can work on bringing the two together)

[Bodonius]

-50 years is like having a gun to your head, lie or die atleast for me that is older.

Anyway the example too flawed to answer, there is nothing anyone can do that makes everyone hate them. I would be the most known person in the universe!

[Calfredd]

You would think that would be true, but RPG's prove otherwise, don't they? All you have to do is imagine yourself in a scenario where you would use it, and bam, you have your answer. I'm not sure why people have such a hard time with this.

Because RPGs are nowhere near a realistic scenario to test your moral fortitude. Many games have the ability to quick load or "save scum" making any good or ill choices moot. Not to mention hardly any games actually reward you for being evil that also doesn't require you to be a mass murdering psychopath; there are almost no games where lying to help yourself is a viable choice whereas there are plenty that reward you for each scalp you turn in.

[Doctor Amadeus]

It's a hypothetical situation. I believe in neither.

In this case the two are the same thing.

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You would think that would be true, but RPG's prove otherwise, don't they? All you have to do is imagine yourself in a scenario where you would use it, and bam, you have your answer. I'm not sure why people have such a hard time with this.

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Not surprised.

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No, I'm pretty sure lying is the opposite of what you're supposed to do.

Who the fuck are you to make value judgement based on your scenario what is more what makes you think you have any idea what the fuck anyone is supposed to do. Most people are not good, but your question doesn't have shit to do with it.

Not to mention now with your response confirming it's some immature bullshit and silly idea, of what YOU think someone ought to do as oppossed to what anyone answering thinks they should do.


According to the question, the thing I KNOW is that it's MY life not yours not anyone else's so who the fuck are you or anyone else to decide what I should do to preserve it. In essence the question is simply asking if it's your life or someone else's who would you choose.

There is no sin for anyone to choose themselves based on a set of circumstances they truly had nothing to do with.

The reality is anything and everything you do in life comes as a price, and that cost is paid by everyone else whether any ONE means to or not.

I answered honestly and if your response to that or ANYONE based on the BS question you asked, the only one who's ideals are questionable here are yours and the sanctimonious bullshit you asked.

As for Your Answer:

Personally I wouldn't. There are too many horrible aspects about life to want to make it worse for others.


Yeah this is fucking silly, and a dishonest answer that reflects fantasy, rather than the reality of what the essence of your question is asking.

[Muajin76]

Say that the grim reaper wanted you to trick someone into making themselves look bad, by lying about them to others, and says that you should do it by tricking them into looking crazy. If you don't do it, he says he would shorten your life by 50 years, and if you do, everyone will hate you for lying. Would you do it?

Personally I wouldn't. There are too many horrible aspects about life to want to make it worse for others.

I'll be honest with ya. I'm sure most people have lied to help themselves at one point in their life.

[Ghostpanther]

The point is, at least what I'm trying to say, is that very very few people can even say for themselves how they would act if well and truly pressed. There are people who think themselves good people who do horrible things when their back is against the wall, and there are also people who never thought they were anything special who go above and beyond when they are faced with a true need to.

When a person answers a question like this, particularly on an anonymous forum, it tells you way more about the persona that they are choosing to display than it does about how they would actually behave. That's not even saying that people are lying. People decide who they want to be. They learn who they are. (And then, hopefully, they can work on bringing the two together)

Well, just to be clear, I think of myself as being capable of doing evil. I do not think of myself as being good. It is a daily struggle to do and think what is right.

[Sylvandoh]

Wanna spot a liar? Anyone who answered they wouldn't lie! There are your liars!

[Typhon DeLeon]

Who the fuck are you to make value judgement based on your scenario what is more what makes you think you have any idea what the fuck anyone is supposed to do. Most people are not good, but your question doesn't have shit to do with it.

Not to mention now with your response confirming it's some immature bullshit and silly idea, of what YOU think someone ought to do as oppossed to what anyone answering thinks they should do.


According to the question, the thing I KNOW is that it's MY life not yours not anyone else's so who the fuck are you or anyone else to decide what I should do to preserve it. In essence the question is simply asking if it's your life or someone else's who would you choose.

There is no sin for anyone to choose themselves based on a set of circumstances they truly had nothing to do with.

The reality is anything and everything you do in life comes as a price, and that cost is paid by everyone else whether any ONE means to or not.

I answered honestly and if your response to that or ANYONE based on the BS question you asked, the only one who's ideals are questionable here are yours and the sanctimonious bullshit you asked.

As for Your Answer:

Personally I wouldn't. There are too many horrible aspects about life to want to make it worse for others.


Yeah this is fucking silly, and a dishonest answer that reflects fantasy, rather than the reality of what the essence of your question is asking.

I have never seen somebody get so rattled so quickly on this website. Yikes.

[Doctor Amadeus]

I have never seen somebody get so rattled so quickly on this website. Yikes.

Not rattled, just not cool to shame people for answering honestly.

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Well, just to be clear, I think of myself as being capable of doing evil. I do not think of myself as being good. It is a daily struggle to do and think what is right.

What the question in essence boils down to is would you trade your life for someone else's Everything else is just trying to justify a value judgement on anyone who disagrees with the OP.

You aren't a good person, and neither am I, neither are most people, however I don't think that could ever be determined based on whether or not you would give your life arbitrarily to anyone or any group of people you don't know based on a series of circumstances you are just as powerless over.

I don't think it's really the same as you went out one night had a few too many drinks more than you thought you could handle, and accidentally run over some poor SOB on the way home then that is your fault, and lying about it or not coming forward is unconscionable.

But if DEATH literally the embodiment of death says do this or Ill do that, means YOU ultimately have zero power, because you didn't really have a choice from the start, because you had nothing to do with the entirety of the situation. Even if you were in some what way part of it.

Question at best could be you and another passenger fell over board off the ship, there is only one life preserver and it's you or the other guy. In this situation both of your circumstances cancel the other out, it simply a matter of would you choose your life vs another.


You choosing to take the life preserver and ultimately leaving the other passenger to death would NOT be your fault. Legally speaking there is no law that suggest such either.

You have the right to your life

[AeneasBK]

Gonna lie to help myself here and say "No".

[Mimisock]

It is ridiculous to read justifying comments, because the nature of man is very selfish))

[Pony Soldier]

I would say "not today"