What is more virtuous: a damaging, burning Truth or an innocuous, velvet Lie? Philosophim, Sherry Thanks for your long comments and thorough analysis! I absolutely agree that there are various types of truths, of half-truths and of lies. The decision we often have to make about what should we do/say is not always easy and obvious. As you said, something can make one sad today, but can spare him/her much trouble and pain in the future.
If a person I love and care about has an interview for very important job for her career and I know from experience that she is not appropriate dressed, I would perhaps tell her to choose another cloth even if that would embarass or make her little sad.
The harmless lies I mention in my post are in cases where not only harm is avoided for the lie-receiver (immediately or later), but where the other alternative, i.e. the truth, would cause irreparable damage. Or, where the disclosure of the truth would not help, because it would concern non-fixable things or situations.
An example/question: Think of an atheist whose beloved, deep religious mother is dying and says that she is happy and content because she 's going to heaven, to God and she 'll meet her son again there someday in the future. And she asks him what he thinks of it. What should her son answer?