White Lies
John Smith
Opinion Paper; Are little white lies acceptable in business?
White lies are not acceptable in business or anywhere else for that matter. Telling a lie, either a grave lie or white lie, contradicts the absolute of truth, therefore making it wrong. Many people view white lies as harmless or innocent, but what they do not realize are the potential consequences of even a small lie. A white lie can be the beginning for another lie to cover that lie, which will cover another lie and so forth. Lying is always a snowball effect because it is the only way to mask other lies. In business, there is an ethical way of conducting dealings and that is the honest way. Since many things are at stake in a company, such as jobs, employees, stakeholders, and profits, a simple lie may affect every area. Before even contemplating telling a white lie, one must first think of the entire company and how that small lie may affect others and the company itself. If white lies were acceptable practice, it would affect business greatly because there would little or no trust. The lack of trust and respect would make it more difficult for companies to reach agreements and terms of contracts. As is common to say, “Honesty is the best policy,” which remains true in every area of business. No deed goes unpunished, and even though a simple white lie seems harmless, it can lead to bigger problems that originally intended for. Also, the people who grow accustomed to telling white lies are the ones who become desensitized and will be more apt to telling larger lies. These are the people who end up committing corporate fraud and bring their entire careers or companies
Opinion Paper; Are little white lies acceptable in business?
White lies are not acceptable in business or anywhere else for that matter. Telling a lie, either a grave lie or white lie, contradicts the absolute of truth, therefore making it wrong. Many people view white lies as harmless or innocent, but what they do not realize are the potential consequences of even a small lie. A white lie can be the beginning for another lie to cover that lie, which will cover another lie and so forth. Lying is always a snowball effect because it is the only way to mask other lies. In business, there is an ethical way of conducting dealings and that is the honest way. Since many things are at stake in a company, such as jobs, employees, stakeholders, and profits, a simple lie may affect every area. Before even contemplating telling a white lie, one must first think of the entire company and how that small lie may affect others and the company itself. If white lies were acceptable practice, it would affect business greatly because there would little or no trust. The lack of trust and respect would make it more difficult for companies to reach agreements and terms of contracts. As is common to say, “Honesty is the best policy,” which remains true in every area of business. No deed goes unpunished, and even though a simple white lie seems harmless, it can lead to bigger problems that originally intended for. Also, the people who grow accustomed to telling white lies are the ones who become desensitized and will be more apt to telling larger lies. These are the people who end up committing corporate fraud and bring their entire careers or companies