[Golden Legacy]

I've been thinking about this one for a while. Let's say there's a situation going on, and Person A gives his (or her) version of what happened. The thing is, what Person A said is completely wrong, false, and he is lying.

However, the thing is, he doesn't realize that he's lying. He thinks that what he's saying is the honest, genuine truth, and he means it - he has no idea that it's wrong, but it is what he believed was the truth.


What do you guys think? Should that be counted against him?

[Someone Else]

An idiot is an idiot. But seriously, what kind of question is that? There are all kinds of different circumstances, it's not so simple as all that.

[gsninja]

I agree that there are different circumstances in which lying without intent can be either really bad or just be dismissed. Overall, though, I would say just let the person off. He/she didn't mean to lie.

[Toasty]

I've been in a few situations like that, but the only difference is that I forgot part of what happened (horrible short term memory). Because of that, I've gotten in trouble for a lot of things I shouldn't have, and I've had my fair share of teachers think I'm bad. But even though you shouldn't lie, if someone isn't intentionally lying (i.e. if someone told you someone else did something, but that person didn't really do it, and then someone asks you what that person did and you tell them what you've heard, but what you've heard is a lie [even though you don't know it]) they shouldn't be punished. Only told to check their sources/story over a few times before saying anything.

[Platinum Sun]

You can't fault someone for something they didn't know. We all have to act based on the premise that out memories are accurate, otherwise we'd be curled up in the corner crying because we can't make any decisions based on our possibly corrupt memories.

[Eugine]

I was going to type what PS typed =) ...

[Blue]

A lie is a lie is a lie.
"Its a lie, its a lie, and don't you believe it"

[Split Infinity]

If he/she is unsure of the credibility of their memory/sources, they should say so.

[TheEnglishman]

I'd agree with Split. Overall though I'm unsure.

[Wiflewood]

I'd call it an 'Un-truth' rather than a lie. To me, a lie implies that they know what they are saying is untrue, which is not the case in this situation.

@Split/Me111: In GL's example, the person in question is sure of their memory/sources, even though they are incorrect.

Still, I think it depends somewhat on their reasons for believing what they do. If someone just told them something and they took it to be the cast-iron truth, then depending on what it is - say that their spouse is cheating on them, they could be critiscised for beliving it without evidence (so even if they believed it, other people might not in that situation). If they saw what they interpreted to be spouse wife cheating on them (even if it wasn't - *cough rehearsing a play cough*) then people would be more leinient.

This kinda reminds me a bit of the old 'Ignorance is no excuse' argument. You can't go to another country and brake the law, and then claim that you didn't know it was a law in the new country.

[Split Infinity]

How the hell could you change the course of events if you were a witness and then be sure that you're telling the truth, Wifle?

[Aquamarine]

He didn't mean it, so it should be ok.

@GL: Why do you ask this, did something similar happen to you?

[Wiflewood]

Spam King, on Jun 4 2007, 11:01 AM, said:

How the hell could you change the course of events if you were a witness and then be sure that you're telling the truth, Wifle?

Whaaaaaat? Sorry, I don't understand you. If you're referring to my response to your original post, then what I mean is that You can believe something to be true, without a shred of doubt whatsoever, even if it isn't true. You were implying that the person was unsure of their belief, in which case they should state it, which I agree with. If they are sure of their belief, even if its untrue then they aren't 'lieing' and shouldn't be critiscised for it.

In the end it kinda boils down to individual people and how gullible they are. 100 people who aren't gullible who are told a lie and don't belive it aren't going to sympathise with one person who is gullible and believes it.

[Split Infinity]

They should say so anyway. Nowadays, nothing is really certain.

[Someone Else]

Though I kinda have to wonder, if someone was called upon to tell "their side" of a story, they probably would have to know a good deal about the story to be called on in the first place.

So, why would they not know the full, true story? That's why I think the question is a bit iffy.

I'm not sure how clear that was, so if it doesn't make sense, my bad.

[Toasty]

WD, sometimes a person is asked for their side of the story based on if they were a part of the event that took place. Regardless of their memory/credibility.

[Split Infinity]

So GL, does this have something to do with a RL event?

[Golden Legacy]

Aquamarine, on Jun 4 2007, 06:53 AM, said:

He didn't mean it, so it should be ok.

@GL: Why do you ask this, did something similar happen to you?

Spam King, on Jun 5 2007, 06:36 PM, said:

So GL, does this have something to do with a RL event?

Not any specific one that comes to mind. This is one of those things that I've always been curious about, those things that you might encounter but never really challenge or consider deeper.

It's really just to see what kind of answers it would get, and so far, some satisfying thoughts on it :P

[Yuki]

He's probably told himself over so many times that what he says is true that now he psychologically believes it. Personally, I'd watch it unravel. I'd choose not to pick sides. I learned that the hard way. Be neutral. Argue with things like "Well, if that's what you truly believe..." but don't make it seem obvious that you're siding with somebody.

On the one hand, if I'm allowed to be leniant, he is, just like anybody is, human. And something like this is normal. We all make mistakes, obviously. So maybe have a little sympathy for him. =/

[Someone Else]

GL does personal psychological studies. I used to think about this kind of **** a lot, but I thought, ah screw it.

But seriously, it depends on the way the person themselves think. If what they think is honestly wrong, but they honestly think it is true because they've been corrupted or are in denial, (for example) then I think they should be blamed.