What do you think about white lies and flattery?

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Google’s definition:
white lie:
a harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
flattery:
excessive and insincere praise, especially that given to further one’s own interests.

Is giving white lies and flattery morally wrong? is sin? Should we just be straight and honest or tell white lies?
 
Catholicism doesn’t have white lies.

A lie is a lie.

Yet , some of us may be more advanced in the virtue of truthfulness though being woefully inadequate in other things.

I’m pretty good at telling the truth, always, I think, but I certainly have my other failings.

I know people who tell white lies for one reason or another, but in many ways, they are more virtuous and charitable generally than I am.

“Mental Reservation” is allowable, but it can be over done.
 
xxxxx said:
Google’s definition:
white lie:
a harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
flattery:
excessive and insincere praise, especially that given to further one’s own interests.

Is giving white lies and flattery morally wrong? is sin? Should we just be straight and honest or tell white lies?
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A lie is a lie. The term “white” appears to imply that it is intended for the benefit of someone. We sometimes have diminished capacity to tell the truth in its entirety – because the truth is sometimes a very complicated, technical matter whereas we need
in a moments notice a quick, discernible answer.
Mark 10:2-5
2 “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him.
3 He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
4 They replied, “Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.”
5 But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment."
 
Flattery is usually to get something out of someone by brown nosing them. Therefore it is a double sin, because not only is lying, but it is to profit by lying.

White lies are lies, but often they are said to make the other person feel better, such as in the case of “does this make me look fat?” or “how do you like the dish I cooked?”. If you answer truthfully in those cases, you would hurt the other person’s feelings.
 
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