The “Truth about Lying” By Judith Viorst

The “Truth about Lying” By Judith ViorstViorst discusses four types of lies in this essay. Explain each in your own words.

Trust-keeping lies- these are lies that a person tells for the sake of the protection of their friends and to keep their trust. Protective lies are told because the truth is deemed destructive. Peace-keeping lies help a person to keep peace for example getting late and saying it was jam. Social lies keep our social life intact.

Which types of lies are most “serious”?

Protective lies are usually considered serious because a person can be destroyed by the truth. For example if a nurse realizes that the health of a patient if failing they may lie to them so that they may continue fighting and maybe recover, however if the patient is told the truth they are likely to give up very fast and maybe die faster.

What does Viorst mean by “Watergate lies” in paragraph 44? What is you’re feeling about this level of trust-Keeping lies?

Watergate lies are the lies one tells so that they may cover up something wrong that they did. For example a person may steal money but in cover up claim that it was a loan. Trust-keeping lies are very difficult because the person who is being protected may be in danger especially in the issue of adultery. A person may go out with other men and for the sake of the trust the word does not get to the husband and she contracts diseases.

According to Viorst, what is the relationship between lying and her own self-image?

Even though lying helps to keep order in many ways and in many places she does not support lying and she states that it can only be used as a last resort. This is because when a person lies there is always a feeling that a person has cheated themselves and therefore there is no way they will be at peace with themselves.

In what ways is lying a moral problem?

Lying is a moral problem in that inasmuch as its desires are pure sometimes it leads to negative image and consequences which at times might be fatal. The immorality of lying also comes in the way a person feels when they are discovered that they were lying. Therefore even though it is a preventive measure to protect others it is a destructive force.

Why do people respond in so many different ways to the issue of lying?

The issue of lying is complicated and therefore different people have different views about lying. A very little percentage is unable to lie and a very large percentage of individuals lie on purpose while a very little percentage always tell lies. Therefore depending on the situation and the person involved lying can have different faces.

Based on your experience, what are the principal consequences of lying? Do the negative consequences outweigh the positives for you, or is the reverse true? Explain your answer in as much data as possible

From my past experiences lying is a very demanding activity and the consequences are varied. However the consequences begin with the self whereby there is always a feeling of inadequacy. This feeling goes to the other people around you and then keeps on spreading. However sometimes lying can be catastrophic. When a lie is detected and there is proof that a person was lying the lying becomes catastrophic and it has very negative effects on all the people involved.

How do you feel about lying? Does your opinion vary according to the types of lies you tell? Why? Explain your answer in detail.

Lying can be okay depending on the type of lie I have to tell. The level of a lie being wrong or being right is determined by the magnitude of the lie and what effect it can cause to the person being lied to, for and the person lying. Therefore some types of lies are completely okay while others need a very intense moral reasoning before telling them.

Vicrst starts by summarizing her conclusions about lying. Is this an effective beginning” Explain your answer.

Yes it is an effective beginning. This is because her summary tells the audience of what she is talking about and what to expect. With this in mind the reader is able to relate to the story even more closely and deeper at different levels and stages of the essay. The opinion of the narrator is also important so that she is not crucified for presenting information in a certain manner.

In this essay, Vicrst works with both division and classification as she arranges lies into several distinct categories. Write down the main subdivisions of her classification system then under each category state the examples she cites. Do all her examples support the appropriate classification? How has she organized these categories?

The work is properly organized regarding the categories of the lies which she discusses and how these sub-categories are discussed, explained and examples given in each and every category. All her examples support the stated category of lies and the order in which the categories are arranged is also a proper organization since she begins with the most common lies.

Who do you think is Viorst’s intended audience? What specific verbal clues in the essay, help you reach this conclusion?

The intended audience of Viorst is colleagues and friends. Most of the examples of lies presented in the essay are just about friends and there is a mention of a colleague in the Watergate lie. Therefore the desire is to help friends and those people close to each other question and realize how lying a dangerous issue is.

Notice that the author repeats the question ‘What about you?” several times. What effect does this repetition have on your response to the essay?

The repetition what about you brings the feeling of wanting to reflect on how I would have handled a specific part of the essay if I was the one writing and at the same time the questioning of myself of what I would have done in that incidence. For example every time she gives an example I imagine myself being in the shoes of that person and therefore the question is whether I would have lied or not.