• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Truth and Lies in imparting hope to others

UniqueMixture

New member
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
3,004
MBTI Type
estj
Enneagram
378
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Often hope is perceived to be true by those promulgating it.
 

KDude

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
8,243
Generally not a big fan of "hope" to begin with. I seem to rely on or give advice about coping instead. Bringing it back to the situation, and helping to find a better way to address it. This requires truth. Or an appreciation of the absurd.
 

Aquarelle

Starcrossed Seafarer
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
3,144
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I think there has to be a balance. Positive attitude, but also being realistic.
 

Hawbawbowba

Permabanned
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
85
MBTI Type
ISTJ
Everybody is going to personalize their take on truth. Hope will motivate them to preserve it.
 

Qlip

Post Human Post
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Messages
8,464
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Hope is paramount. What worth is truth if you have no motivation to live? Hope in lies is usually forgivable, often recoverable and better than the alternative.
 

KDude

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
8,243
Hope is paramount. What worth is truth if you have no motivation to live? Hope in lies is usually forgivable, often recoverable and better than the alternative.

Who said you need hope to live? You just live. And appreciate it.
 

Qlip

Post Human Post
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Messages
8,464
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Who said you need hope to live? You just live. And appreciate it.

Everyone needs a different kind of hook to keep them in the game. I'm assuming this thread is for those who need hope, otherwise the question doesn't really matter much.
 

93JC

Active member
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
3,989
What is the more important?

Truth or hope?

Phrasing it this way makes it seem as though truth and hope are mutually exclusive. They're not.

I think it's better to be truthful than to give someone false hope.
 

Lark

Active member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
29,569
Phrasing it this way makes it seem as though truth and hope are mutually exclusive. They're not.

I think it's better to be truthful than to give someone false hope.

Interesting.

And if the truth and hope are mutually exclusive?
 

93JC

Active member
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
3,989
Better to be truthful than deceitful. If the truth was harmful to this person I'd rather keep my mouth shut entirely.
 

xisnotx

Permabanned
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
2,144
If one must have either the truth or hope, shouldn't they be the one to choose which one they want?

Personally, sometimes the truth is more important to my situation, sometimes the sense of hope is. Based on my circumstances, I'll give an indication.
 
R

ReflecTcelfeR

Guest
Couldn't hope create truth?

You might think it is a lie, but the hope can present the possibility to make it true, and then it wouldn't really have ever been a lie.

I mean I don't think lying to keep hope alive is really the opposite to telling the truth.

Also the truth isn't always painful.
 

Orangey

Blah
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
Messages
6,354
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
6w5
Do we mean "truth" as in "true facts?" So the question is really, "is it okay to lie about certain facts if you think it will preserve hope?"

Definitely not, for two reasons: (1) it may not have the intended effect on hope levels, and (2) that kind of manipulation is never helpful in the long run (WTF happens when they find out that you lied and that they're basing their hope on shit that's just not true? Dummy.)
 

KDude

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
8,243
I don't even care if hope is possibly true. It's just not in me to point somewhere in the horizon. I'm dealing with this in a family member who's been depressed.. they're very focused and aggravated on things not changing externally or being in order or meeting some expectation. Then they drink and dwell some more. They need changes, but I think they could simply do with better coping methods. I've worked on that myself. Pay attention to what is here, not to what isn't. Hope just keeps pointing to what isn't. It's just acknowledging they need more...and more and more. Usually the truth is we have it pretty good. And if I know that for sure with someone, I'm gonna point it out.
 

Wolfie

New member
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
552
MBTI Type
xNxx
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
so
Hope is best if you can stomach it. As someone who seeks truth, I know that can be a bitter reality.
 
Top