Is it ever OK to lie?

Lies pertain to falsehood. A lie is a false statement made with a deliberate intention by someone who knows that it is not the truth. No one likes to be lied to but what if it’s a small lie or a lie that is being told to avoid someone’s feelings getting hurt? Is it ever ok to tell a lie? My mom always told me that honesty is the best policy so I have lived most of my adult life as an honest person. I try to be upfront and straightforward because I’ve found that lying is just too much work.  A lie is usually followed by a series of lies to cover the original lie which can get messy not to mention if the truth is ever discovered you’re labeled a liar. I recently found myself in a compromising situation with someone I care about. I left out pertinent information which turned into a lie. If I was honest I risked this person becoming upset, his feelings possibly hurt and him maybe even distancing himself from me over something that I couldn’t change so I left out certain details. I did this not because I’m an asshole but because he wouldn’t understand where I was coming from, so leaving out those details made it easier.  I felt guilty about not being honest to him especially because I pride myself in being an honest person. In my mind not telling the whole truth was me trying to protect his feelings but in reality was just me being selfish. So... if you’re telling a lie to avoid hurting the feelings of someone you care about does that make telling the lie ok?  What if you have a friend who is overweight and she is wearing something that you wouldn’t necessarily wear and she asks you if she looks good. Do you tell this friend no and you probably need to lose about 20lbs or do you lie and say you look great to avoid her already low self-esteem from declining even further? We have all told white lies, but a lie is still a lie, excuses are the best friend of a lie and leaving information out is the brother of a lie. They are all related and all no good.  
To the person I lied to…If you’re reading this (which you better be!) I apologize for not being honest. I was coming from a good place but I take responsibility for my actions and glad that you were able to forgive me, it won’t happen again.

Word of advice from someone who has been caught in a lie: Be Honest…it’s just so much easier

Until Next Time,
Niccole