Lying by omission

[UltimaLimit]

Do you believe in the concept of "lying by omission"?

Personally I don't. A lie is saying something that you know isn't true. Omitting something can certainly confuse people depending on the situation, but I don't think it's lying outright.

Also, sometimes it's just better to shut up. I mean, who wants to run around the neighborhood telling everybody about the time you pissed your pants in kidnergarten or whatever? (Not that I did, I was fully potty-trained before I started school.) But you get what I mean. You'd be honest, but did everyone really need to know that?

[-N-]

I know what you mean. Given the standard definition of lying, omitting truth isn't lying.

You peed your pants in kindergarten?

[UltimaLimit]

Not that I did, I was fully potty-trained before I started school.

No, I've never wet myself in public. That was just a bull example showing how sometimes you should shut your trap.

[Spritz]

... I've... wet myself in public...

I ommited some details. (This has very little to do with anything, acctually! 8D)

To be honest, In my opinion isn't lieing, therefore I don't beleive in lieing by ommision but in some situations it can be equal to or worse than lieing. Like you said; Ommiting the truth can cause quite a bit of confusion in certain situations.

[Sacred Phoenix]

The problem with ommiting things, is sometime you can forget what you ommitted, same as when you lie. I have been busted on that before. I try to be as honest as possible. But somtimes lying by ommission isn't always that bad, it depends on the situation and what you are leaving out etc.

[Del Murder]

A lie is when you intend for someone to believe something that is not true. If this is done by omission, then it is certainly a lie.

[Mindflare]

If you omit an important detail on purpose, it's a lie, yes. If it's accidental, then it's not.

[Yamaneko]

Yeah, if the statement is a lie and told deliberately by one who knows it's a lie then by definition the statement is a lie. The moral repercussions are a completely different matter, though. In some instances a lie is morally accepted, but that's usually not the case.

EDIT: Ok, I just repeated what two people said. Just look over this.

[kikimm]

If you omit an important detail on purpose, it's a lie, yes. If it's accidental, then it's not.

I've come to about the same conclusion. Anyway I look at it, it still comes back to it being lying.

[Samuraid]

If by omitting truth you are implying something false, some would classify that as a form of lying. I probably would.

EDIT: And it turns out Yams said the same thing.

And Del...

[fire_of_avalon]

I wet my pants in kindergarten AND third grade, and I'm man enough to admit it.

*cackle*

I agree with Del and Mindy and Yamaneko.

[UltimaLimit]

... I've... wet myself in public...

I ommited some details.

I may have to rethink my stance. When I said, "lying by omission", I meant by simply not saying anything at all. Spritz's "creative editing" is a lie by partial omission (leaving out certain words while quoting me). I still stand by my stance that there is no lie by total omission, but lying by partial omission is certainly possible.

Thanks for furthering the discussion... I think. Knew I should've thought up a better example.

[Psychotic]

In (British) criminal law, you can't be guilty by an ommission, except in some circumstances which I'd be more than happy to explain to you all and give you some cases to illustrate those points, but nah

Therefore if you cannot commit a crime by not doing something, I also think you cannot lie by not doing something.

[Resha]

No, I don't think you can lie by missing stuff out...although the intent (if omitted on purpous) could mean to be a lie. I mean like, what if you don't tell your friend some mean thing someone said about them, just to not hurt their feelings? That can't be a lie...

[Garland]

It's still a lie. You don't have to assume that lying is always wrong though. With few exceptions, everything can be good or bad in different situations- even lying.