I am impressed by how Stephanie Ericson was able to classify lies into categories in her essay, "The Ways We Lie." She even cited a quote for each category to instantly paint a broad picture before explaining. Before reading her essay, I believed that there was only one kind of lie, the "Out-and-Out Lie," which is simply an intentionally false statement. I cannot even fathom the possibility of there being even more lies than the ten her essay addressed. Reading Ericson's analysis of each category was a valuable and intriguing learning experience for me.
I was especially intrigued
by the view that "Ignoring the Plain Facts" could be considered
lying. I had never thought that being negligent could constitute as lying until
now. The Catholic Church in Massachusetts
that knowingly employed a pedophilic priest was used as the perfect example to
portray such a lie. Although the church did not claim that there was not a
pedophile working for them, simply remaining silent created danger in a sacred sanctuary
where people trust the priests not to molest their children. Because people's
trust got taken advantage of, I can acknowledge how there was a lie.
Although I learned a lot from her essay, I believe that Ericson wanted to do more than educate her reader. She expressed her purpose clearly when she stated that "We must consider the meaning of our actions. Deception, lies, capital crimes, and misdemeanors all carry meanings." With this thesis she urges us to ponder the morality of our actions and how they affect other people and ourselves. For example, ignoring the plain facts can actually be a serious crime that is punishable in the form of a prison sentence; it is called criminal negligence. The employers at the Catholic Church are guilty of this crime because they should have considered the consequences of their lie that they probably thought was harmless. If they did, maybe no one would have had to get molested.
Although I learned a lot from her essay, I believe that Ericson wanted to do more than educate her reader. She expressed her purpose clearly when she stated that "We must consider the meaning of our actions. Deception, lies, capital crimes, and misdemeanors all carry meanings." With this thesis she urges us to ponder the morality of our actions and how they affect other people and ourselves. For example, ignoring the plain facts can actually be a serious crime that is punishable in the form of a prison sentence; it is called criminal negligence. The employers at the Catholic Church are guilty of this crime because they should have considered the consequences of their lie that they probably thought was harmless. If they did, maybe no one would have had to get molested.
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