Would you rather choose to believe a lie that made you happy?

...or believe a truth that would destroy you.

 

Thinly veiled religious debate thread is thinly veiled.

 

Naw, not really. It could be religion, a higher power, something do with your significant other or your parents. It could be anything.

 

If I knew it was a lie I couldn't believe it. If I didn't know it was a lie then there is no choice in the matter.

 

Exactly.

 

Of course. But in this hypo, if you had a choice...???

 

she banged another dude. you know its true

 

It depends on the semantics here. I don't believe that you choose to believe things, you do or you don't. Until you accept a truth, it isn't your reality. An ego-centric outlook, maybe, but a "truth" nonetheless.

You can live within a lie but this is most often ends in disaster. A common example would be a friend of mine who lived as straight man in a monogamous relationship with house and kids and all of that. It ended in unspeakable tragedy.

If you accept a devastating truth, then whether or not you are "destroyed" is up to you. If you can't recover, rebuild or reinvent yourself? Perhaps you aren't letting yourself do so.

Geek alert: I am so thinking of the first episode of Firefly and the final scenes of Serenity because of this thread.

 

If it is as absolute as the OP indicates, then I'd choose the lie. But in reality I'd choose the truth and learn to deal with it.

 

It's probably a nother topic of its own but I think you can choose to believe things. Or at least I think there is some degree of choice involved in our beliefs.

 

Did your friend go through a messy divorce or are you referring to actual carnage?

 

My daughter believes in Santa and she knows he's not real. True story.

 

Troof all the way baby. There are tons of times I could have taken the lie, or chose not to investigate so I could believe the best case- didn't take it though.

Guess I just like to be miserable.

Kind of related, I don't want to know everything, but that doesn't mean I like lies. Like I don't need a girlfriend telling me about how many dudes shes banged or if a stripper dry humped her at a bachelorette party and she liked it, but if she was going to say anyway I'd rather her not lie.

 

Also, I'd want the honest truth. Oh yes Jack, I can HANDLE the truth.

 

As it really isn't my story to tell, I'd rather not discuss it any further. Just be glad that you weren't there for any of it. I sure am.

 

this. but in the spirit of the thread i would prefer the truth. why live with the lie? the truth will set you free.

 

Lies make me angry, no matter how small.

 

I think of it more as - would you ever tell a friend you prefer white lies over the raw truth.

 

Fuck that shit.

I mean...I'd rather die in miserable knowledge than ignorant bliss.