People are far more willing to lie to someone in a vulnerable state. In a study, only 3% would lie to an underperforming employee, but that number jumped to nearly 20% if the employee's father had just been hospitalized.
A lie intended to be benevolent backfires when the recipient believes the withheld information was necessary. The host's mother lied about COVID exposure to avoid stress, but it was seen as a paternalistic betrayal because the host felt the information was critical.
Deceiving someone with severe dementia about a painful truth (like a death) is considered compassionate because they cannot properly process it. Telling the truth would only cause repeated grief without any benefit of understanding or growth.
Some truths, like telling new parents their baby is ugly, are considered 'bad truths.' They cause significant emotional pain without leading to any learning or positive change, making it a situation where a lie is morally preferable.
The film 'The Farewell' shows a family hiding a cancer diagnosis to preserve hope, an act of love in their culture. In the U.S., this would violate patient autonomy, highlighting a key cultural difference in the ethics of truth-telling.
When someone tells a pro-social lie to protect feelings, the recipient may trust their intentions more (benevolence-based trust) but trust the literal truth of their statements less (integrity-based trust), creating a complex dynamic in the relationship.
The White House withheld information about Soviet missiles in Cuba to prevent panic and strategize. While this may have averted nuclear war, such high-stakes deceptions contribute to the long-term undermining of public trust in government.
People believe it's ethical to lie about a negative trait if the person cannot change it. In a study, 64% endorsed lying about an uncontrollable stutter, but only 19% would lie if it was due to controllable nerves. Feedback is reserved for what's changeable.