We have a strong reaction to being lied to, yet we all lie. We find lying necessary, so we have created degrees of lies to clear our consciences. There are basically three degrees of lies: white (selfless), grey (self-interested) and black (blatant and criminal). It is second nature for people to tell white lies while it takes more arrogance to tell the others.
To some extent we expect to be told white lies in our everyday communications. Hence, society is more tolerant of white lies — only white lies. White lies are told to avoid hurting people’s feelings. For example, a friend asks your opinion on her new furniture that you know she not only saved weeks to buy but also spent an enormous amount of money on. Realizing that you are not the one having to live with it day in day and day, out you feel little remorse in telling her you really like it. Or she introduces you to her new boyfriend whom you don’t like; however, you know she really likes him, and she is trying to make the relationship work. Trusting that your relationship with your friend will outlast her relationship with her boyfriend, you tell her that you like him. Thus, a liar who tells a white lie has good intentions towards the hearer of the lie.
If the liar that tells a white lie serves others, one who tells grey lies serves himself without there ultimately being serious consequences. Grey lies are told to avoid arguments, inconveniences, and complications. For example, your spouse tells you to tell callers he is not at home when he is and to tell creditors that “the cheque is in the mail”, when it has not been mailed. Furthermore, people who cheat on their income tax returns use grey lies to manipulate the system because they feel some of the income tax laws are open to interpretation.
The grey lie, more serious than the white lie, is not as evil as the black one. The black lie is not only evil but also the least tolerable. It is told infrequently because the consequences of being found out are more severe. The black lie is told to do harm, to exact revenge, and to get out of serious trouble with the authorities. For example, when Scott Peterson stood up in open court and pled not guilty to killing both his wife and his unborn child, he obviously was telling a black lie to get himself out of trouble with the authorities. Even though he has been found guilty by a group of his peers, Scott to this day is still saying he is innocent. Furthermore, convicted killer Paul Bernardo, with the aid of his wife, Karla Homolka, lured, raped and later killed many young women (including Karla’s sister). Paul and Karla accomplished this act by telling the young women black lies.
In spite of these seemingly reliable criteria, some lies are difficult to categorize. In which category would you put power hungry members of the Caribana Cultural Committee who spread gossip and lies to defame other committee members’ character because they want to usurp the leadership or politicians who tell their constituents that there are weapons of mass destruction in a country just to invade that country, knowing full well that the truth would come to light? Obviously the consequences of these actions would not place these lies in the white category, but would they be grey or black?