The boy who cried WOLF!

[gdpt-]

Here is a very popular story. I'm sure many of you have read this story before.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf. By: Aesop

A shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains.
The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.

Questions: What's the moral of the story? It took the villagers three/four times to give up trusting/believing the boy. How many lies can a person tell before the trust is ruined? How many times until you say... enough is enough?

Write (or make up) a story with the same moral/lesson.



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[VK007]

Yes ... yes ... this story reminds me of my childhood, and this is the first time I read the English version. I love to read a short story and understand its moral. So please correct me if I'm wrong or have an incomplete thought.

I think the moral of the story is not to repeat a bad joke and go beyond its boundary for you will face the consequences. You have a whole life to build your credit, but one simple mistake ... one simple lie could ruin your reputation. So before you have to lie, think of the consequences. I remember there was an old story talking about a King trying to impress his Queen. He ordered his soldiers to light up a Torch to make a signal for reinforcement and help. The reinforcements came just to see the King and the Queen had a big laugh on them. After they left, the King was in real danger. His kingdom was invaded. He ordered his soldiers to light up the Torch again, but no ones came to help. The King lost his kingdom.

I don't think the quantity of a lie ruin the trust, but its consequences does. People lie for many reasons, for the bad and also for the good. It can be forgiven, it can be forgot, and sometimes it can be unforgiven depending on the situation. I think the best way to judge a lie is to understand its motivation. I believe there is always a reason behind everything. So sometimes we need to stay open minded and judge accordingly.

Don't repeat the same mistake for one is bad enough. Peace out!!!

[gdpt-]

Overall, I like your ideas. I agree that there is a reason for everything, especially behind lies. However, there are also selfish reasons that are only intended for the good of one's self. Just like the story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf," he deliberately lied for humor and entertainment. But then again, how can you tell when a lie is intentionally bad and when it is intentionally good?

Is a lie EVER beneficial for both parties?

[Handsome Bear]

Is a lie EVER beneficial for both parties?

uhh ... here are a few that I've found ...


... then he asks her what she wants him to say. She responds, "Lie to me."
He makes up a speech about the simple difference between right and wrong, bad guys and good, and how the latter always win and everyone lives happily ever after.
With affection and gratitude, she calls him a liar …

-----o0o------

She said, "Tell me once again, why would you lie to me?"
She said, "Do me like you should. Why would you try for me?
From all the girls I knew, where would you rather be?
Because I've got everything you need,
Take me back to yours cause that's the best I want."

-----o0o------

Don't act like an angel,
You're fallen again.
You're no superhero
I've found in the end.
So lie to me once again,
And tell me everything will be alright.
Lie to me once again,
And ask yourself before we say goodbye.
Well ... goodbye ...
Was it worth it in the end?





--------------------------------
lie to me, then ...

[snowdrop_14]

Is a lie EVER beneficial for both parties?


We all lie, but does it make us liars. The answer is NO. Why do we lie? We lie because it is beneficial to everyone that is involved. The reasons people lie are revolved in the concept of fears. The fears of causing harm, conflict, loss and punishment lead people to lie. For Example on paltalk, we applause to those who sing and cheer endlessly “hay qua” and “you’re awesome” but to be honest how many of those you actually think are good singers, probably less than a few. So we lie because we don’t want to hurt this particular person's feeling. We lie to encourage them and “hope to god”, the next time they will improve. We lie because we're afraid to tell the truth that “you suck” and because we don’t want to cause unnecessary embarrassment. We hold back the comment “you’suck” since, it’s not important for that person to know the truth which may cause this person to lose confidence and have low self-esteem. Moreover, we lie because the truth causes conflict and creates an unnecessary enemy. Most importantly we lie because we hope that in return, when it comes to our turn to sing, they will give us the same compliment, will cheer and support us. So we lie for self protection. Lying is when you say things that are not totally true to avoid unnecessary harm to others. Therefore lying is a moral thing to do and I belive that lying is a fundamental social skill that one must have to survive in this society. For these reasons, everyone must lie.


Please feel free to correct my grammar.


popcorn ?

[Handsome Bear]

While watching her GDPT kids playing during a recess, Miss Jeedy noticed the three 8-year-old kids who seemed to be arguing with passion among themselves. She walked over to see what was going on.

“Now, children, tell me what is happening?” she said to the three youngsters.

One of them turned to her, “Miss Jeedy, we can’t decide who wins this candy bag.” His face was red with frustration, “We are having a contest to see who can tell the best lie.”

A cute Asian girl with a pony tail jumped in, “I am, Miss Jeedy.” Her serious eyes opened wide behind a pair of thick glasses, “I told them the story about my dad, who, after landing his plane on the moon, walked out and fought with a moon monster. He actually took one of the monster’s teeth home, and after only couple days, the tooth became a fairy.”

“But that was not a good lie, Miss Jeedy.” The red hair boy complained, “It was too obvious. I was telling them the story about how I drove the whole family to Walt Disney World last summer. It’s a lie, but it’s not so obvious, is it?”

The first boy turned back to her, “That was too, Miss Jeedy.” He shook his head, “It's too obvious that it wasn’t even funny. Me, I told them how I rode my horse to school this morning. Cow boys actually did that, didn’t they?”

The three angel faces turned to Miss Jeedy, expecting her to be their honorable judge. Miss Jeedy expressed her disappointment, “Children, lying is not a good thing to do. Why would you want to have such a silly contest?” Then she smiled sweetly, “When I was your age, I would never, ever lie.”

The three children turned to look at each other. The sad and understanding eyes seemed to express a unanimous decision. After a second or two, they quietly handed her the candy bag and walked away.

[Paris]

Lying can be beneficial at times. To me, if lying would not jeopardize one's relationship, health, or safety, then it's an acceptable lie. As Snow had stated, we lie from time to time to boost one's confidence. We call those "white lies".

On the other hand, there are lies that can corrupt a healthy relationship; such as being unfaithful. This one lie can lead to many other lies and usually ends up being extremely ugly in the relationship. So, lying in a relationship is a big "no no".

Think before you tell a lie, will my lie hurt of save a life?

[HcVcT]

Think before you tell a lie, will my lie hurt of save a life?

It is obvious that you meant "Will my lie hurt or save a life? How about let's scale it down and simply ask, will my lie hurt or save a feeling?
Since the consensus is that we all lie, which I do not disagree, what should the question be when we do decide to "lie"? May I offer a suggestion, which I myself am finding difficult to follow! Maybe the question should be "What would the consequences be of my lie?" or "What would the subsequences be?"
When someone sings on mic, it is true that I always have something nice to say. But it truly is NOT a lie. My compliments are more than just encouragements. It truly is "awesome" and "marvelous" to hear an amateur (at best) to express him/herself through musics. I would probably not applaud if I had paid $60 to hear such voices, including my own, on stage during a concert. But given the environment at hand, I did not compromise my principles to hand out compliments and roses. The mood is fun entertainment and the focus is sharing; hence, the consequence is "awesome" and the subsequence is "marvelous".
Now, if someone lies and urges my help for a false dying need, that does take on a whole different avenue. Its consequences would include ill feelings -- such as abuse of trust, exploit of care, apathy, aggravation, and annoyance. Its subsequences would surely be avoidance, suspicion, disbelief, distrust, doubt, and fear.

But hey, that's only my take on it. After all, I am still trying to live up to it. I do have a story to share. It's an old fairy tale which most of us has heard. It's "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Anderson.

-----o0o-----------o0o-----------o0o-----------o0o------

The Emperor's New Clothes

Once upon a time there lived a vain Emperor whose only worry in life was to dress in elegant clothes. He changed clothes almost every hour and loved to show them off to his people.
Word of the Emperor's refined habits spread over his kingdom and beyond. Two scoundrels who had heard of the Emperor's vanity decided to take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the gates of the palace with a scheme in mind.
"We are two very good tailors and after many years of research we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth so light and fine that it looks invisible. As a matter of fact it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality."
The chief of the guards heard the scoundrel's strange story and sent for the court chamberlain. The chamberlain notified the prime minister, who ran to the Emperor and disclosed the incredible news. The Emperor's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see the two scoundrels.
"Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you." The emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric immediately.
"Just tell us what you need to get started and we'll give it to you." The two scoundrels asked for a loom, silk, gold thread and then pretended to begin working. The Emperor thought he had spent his money quite well: in addition to getting a new extraordinary suit, he would discover which of his subjects were ignorant and incompetent. A few days later, he called the old and wise prime minister, who was considered by everyone as a man with common sense.
"Go and see how the work is proceeding," the Emperor told him, "and come back to let me know."
The prime minister was welcomed by the two scoundrels.
"We're almost finished, but we need a lot more gold thread. Here, Excellency! Admire the colors, feel the softness!" The old man bent over the loom and tried to see the fabric that was not there. He felt cold sweat on his forehead.
"I can't see anything," he thought. "If I see nothing, that means I'm stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!" If the prime minister admitted that he didn't see anything, he would be discharged from his office.
"What a marvelous fabric, he said then. "I'll certainly tell the Emperor." The two scoundrels rubbed their hands gleefully. They had almost made it. More thread was requested to finish the work.
Finally, the Emperor received the announcement that the two tailors had come to take all the measurements needed to sew his new suit.
"Come in," the Emperor ordered. Even as they bowed, the two scoundrels pretended to be holding large roll of fabric.
"Here it is your Highness, the result of our labour," the scoundrels said. "We have worked night and day but, at last, the most beautiful fabric in the world is ready for you. Look at the colors and feel how fine it is." Of course the Emperor did not see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. He panicked and felt like fainting. But luckily the throne was right behind him and he sat down. But when he realized that no one could know that he did not see the fabric, he felt better. Nobody could find out he was stupid and incompetent. And the Emperor didn't know that everybody else around him thought and did the very same thing.
The farce continued as the two scoundrels had foreseen it. Once they had taken the measurements, the two began cutting the air with scissors while sewing with their needles an invisible cloth.
"Your Highness, you'll have to take off your clothes to try on your new ones." The two scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror. The Emperor was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders were, he felt relieved.
"Yes, this is a beautiful suit and it looks very good on me," the Emperor said trying to look comfortable. "You've done a fine job."
"Your Majesty," the prime minister said, "we have a request for you. The people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to see you in your new suit." The Emperor was doubtful showing himself naked to the people, but then he abandoned his fears. After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the incompetent.
"All right," he said. "I will grant the people this privilege." He summoned his carriage and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries walked at the very front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in the street. All the people had gathered in the main square, pushing and shoving to get a better look. An applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd.
Everyone said, loud enough for the others to hear: "Look at the Emperor's new clothes. They're beautiful!"
"What a marvellous train!"
"And the colors! The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my life!" They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had predicted.
A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.
"The Emperor is naked," he said.
"Fool!" his father reprimanded, running after him. "Don't talk nonsense!" He grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy's remark, which had been heard by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried:
"The boy is right! The Emperor is naked! It's true!"
The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He though it better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn't see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his carriage, while behind him a page held his imaginary mantle.

[VK007]

"mao mui" huh ... wow ... Thanks, gdpt. I really meant to use the word consequence – the result of your action when you lie about something. For example, you pretend to be smart but you show someone a bad direction. Imagine what will happen when someone is in a real hurry and needs a right direction? They’ll keep going the wrong way and eventually get lost. You don’t have to lie that you seem to know everything. You can just simply say “I don’t know.”

I like your thought, snowdrop. You like the way you wrote. I like the term “unnecessary embarrassment”. It gave me a lot of thinking.

Hehehe … that was quite a lovely story, Handsome Bear.

I totally agree with Paris and HcVcT. Good writing!

[gdpt-]

Snow, I love how you used Paltalk karaoke as an example. Very entertaining. You brought up a good point about lying creates moral support. We do a lot of "white lying" to encourage others to express their full potentials, but are we also limiting their competency? When we praise them, we are feeding onto their egotism; we are commending them for their efforts but are we actually doing a good deed? We're not bruising them mentally but, by not being completely honest, we're restricting rooms for possible improvements.

For example, you have a friend who is vain about her artistic skills. She tells you she wants to be a painter. She shows you her artwork. Seriously, she is among one of the worst painter you've met/seen. Undoubtfully horrible. Her painting is comparable to a kindergarden's drawing. And no, it isn't about taste either because no one in their right minds (except for her) will find it elegant or even close to being "artistic." You think she couldn't possibly be serious about chasing after art. So you lie to her at first and say "oh, it's a cute drawing -- (you know, for moral support and whatnot). You later find out she wants to pursue her career in that profession. You know she will fail miserably. She doesn't ask you whether she should continue with it or not; she assumes she already has your support. What do you say? Do you keep quiet? (Keep in mind, even if you keep quiet, it will still be considered a lie. Not being honest is lying, even if it's not spoken) Also, you already jokingly said she has artistic skills. (She doesn't know it's a joke)

I guess it also depends on "who" you're "purposely" lying (for the good) to. So... you don't think I'm a good singer, huh? Say it! OR, like you said, you're only applauding my courage and "hope to god" that, one day (one day far far from today), I will hopefully improve... even if the improvement is microscopic.

"...lying is a fundamental social skill that one must have to survive in this society." <-- I completely agree 99%.


Paris, can you lie in a relationship for the good of your lover or spouse? Like, if your ex drops by one day just to say Hi and your gf later asks you if anything happened that day... you say no. (since nothing happened and it isn't a big deal and you don't want your gf to get all crazy (which she will be if she finds out) -- she's the jealous type) Is that acceptable? --- Just put yourself in a position of a male.