If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.
– Lao Tzu
When I first came across this quote, I thought it was a warning to change one’s path before it was too late, before one ended up at a regrettable destination. I always thought that the quote was only about avoiding negative outcomes.
However, just today, I came across this comment, that totally changed how I look at the quote.
A friend asks for your opinion on his new hairstyle, or blog, which you don’t like. But you tell him, it’s nice. He asks if you’d go watch a movie with him this weekend, but you’d rather just lie around the house. You tell him, you have relatives coming over.
Why do we tell these little white lies? Probably, the most popular answer would be to spare someone’s feelings. After all, a white lie isn’t doing any harm to anyone, and if it helps avoid hurting someone, then why not? You’ve probably done this, and probably, will again in the future.
I’m no saint; I have done this too. Not that I’m proud of it. But, I have been trying to avoid this as much as possible. And it’s not without reason.
Echoes In The Ether 