Personal Narrative: The Little White Lie

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I feel that it was immoral for Mary Bailey to lie about the staff at her start-up company. Although she attempts to justify her actions by stating that there are certain things she wouldn’t do the bottom line is a lie is a lie. You might say that I am being deontological in the way I view the story I’ve read but I choose to believe what the Bible says, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Once society starts to believe that a little white lie won’t hurt anyone then who’s to say a lie of any kind is unacceptable. A little lie or stretching the truth as some might say is as deceptive as cheating on your taxes or accepting a bank error in your favor. At first glance it doesn’t appear that…show more content…
If you have any doubt that most people believe that telling a little lie is acceptable just look at our court system. Our courts are bogged down with people suing the heartless corporations for outrageous amounts of money. It is similar to Lottery fever and everyone is looking for that big payday by taking advantage of a situation and stretching the truth a little bit. Don’t get me wrong some people genuinely have legitimate cases but a large percentage do not. Heck, those companies can afford to pay so why not. That is the attitude of many people today. On the other hand you have the heartless corporations willing to do just about anything to include lying to its workers just to make a few more dollars. It is a known fact in America that if you have enough money to hire the best lawyers you can just about get away with murder. This kind of thinking is utilitarian in that the ends justify the means. This kind of thinking if left unchecked will only escalate to the point where you can’t believe anything you see or here. There is an old saying that the buyer should beware and in the case of Mary Bailey and utilitarianism as a whole the saying couldn't be further from the…show more content…
A few weeks ago I went to dinner with a few friends. At the conclusion of the meal I offered to pay. The waitress presented me with the check and I immediately noticed a mistake. The check was for far less than I anticipated. I told the waitress that she had given me the wrong check and that my check should have been for much more. She checked and sure enough the check she presented to me was a fraction of what I should have been charged. The people I was eating with were amazed and told me that they would have paid the check and exited the establishment as inconspicuously as possible. The thought of taking advantage of another’s mistake never even crossed my mind. If the situation was reversed and the waitress had given me a check for more than I should be charged I would have done the very same thing. There is a right and a wrong thing to do given any situation. I believe that most people know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. I chose to do the right thing in that situation because it was the right thing to do. Deontological ethics maintains that the moral rightness of an action depends on the intent of the heart. For a Christian, especially one who follows the teachings of the Bible, what Mary Bailey did was wrong. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we

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