如果你的意圖良好，可以說謊嗎？

人們常常試圖成為善良的人。“你穿那件衣服真好看！“什麼時候告訴一個無傷大雅的謊言，什麼時候真相是更好的賭注？”在你說善意的謊言之前，問問你自己，你是否確信從長遠來看，這會帶來更好的結果。有時答案是顯而易見的；在其他情况下，可能不那麼清楚。

考慮一下對方是喜歡舒適還是坦率，以及他們在不同情况下是否想要不同的東西。如果你不知道，問問。

例如，和同事一起，你可以問他們通常欣賞什麼樣的回饋，以及他們什麼時候想聽到嚴厲但富有建設性的責備。但在大多數情况下，俗話說，誠實是最好的政策。

如果你不確定該怎麼做，就向一群人徵求意見——如果他們不同意撒謊是可以的，就說實話。

Is It OK to Tell a Lie If Your Intentions Are Good?

People often lie in an attempt to be kind. (“You look great in that outfit!”) When is it OK to tell an innocuous fib, and when is the truth a better bet? Before you tell a white lie, ask yourself if you’re sure it will lead to a better result in the long run. Sometimes the answer will be obvious; in other cases it may not be so clear.

Consider whether the other person prefers comfort or candor, as well as whether they want different things in different situations. If you don’t know, ask.

With colleagues, for example, you could ask what type of feedback they generally appreciate, and when they want to hear tough but constructive criticism. But in most circumstances, as the saying goes, honesty is the best policy.

If you’re not sure what to do, ask a group of people for advice — and if they don’t unanimously agree that a lie is OK, tell the truth.