Read the passage and answer the following question.
Life often poses certain circumstances that compel us to take the wrong way and tell a lie. We tend to become dishonest in certain situations. Once a person realizes that they can get away with a misdeed by lying, they tend to be dishonest again and again. Initially, it is indeed very tempting; however, in the grand scheme of things, the truth and the truth alone finds its way to glory.
All of us commit mistakes; nobody is perfect. One may find oneself in a very confused position in life that requires one to lie. It is very tough always to maintain an honest posture. However, one is forgivable if one realizes one’s misdeeds over time.
An inherently unwise person would repeatedly suppress the voice within themselves that asks them to tread a path of honesty. For their petty gains, they would resort to dishonesty. Such a deliberate attempt to tone down one’s inner voice to repeatedly falsify facts is not worth forgiving. Nor is it of any benefit, because the truth always finds its way into the light.
There is one difference between being deliberately dishonest and telling white lies. White lies are lies that we all tell once in a while to get out of awkward situations we are put in. White lies do not have any casualties; they are harmless. White lies have no significant bad impact on the one who tells them or the one who hears them. They are justifiable.
What is the difference between being deliberately dishonest and telling white lies, according to the passage?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → White lies can be justified, but deliberate dishonesty cannot
The passage says that white lies are harmless and “They are justifiable.”
- Justifiable means there is a good enough reason for it.
- Deliberate means done on purpose. About deliberate lying, the passage says it is “not worth forgiving”.
- So white lies can be justified, but lying on purpose again and again cannot.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Deliberate dishonesty can be justified, but white lies cannot — Incorrect. Opposite meaning: This turns the passage around. The passage calls white lies justifiable, not deliberate dishonesty.
Option 3: White lies cause great harm, but deliberate dishonesty does not — Incorrect. Contradicted: The passage says white lies “are harmless”. They have no serious bad effect on anyone.
Option 4: Both are equally hard to forgive — Incorrect. Contradicted: The passage says there is a difference between the two. Only deliberate dishonesty is “not worth forgiving”.