My comment was not about advantaging the person being lied to but the person being lied about (and being saved), in my example a third party.
The white lie example is more like
"No darling your bottom doesn't look fat in that dress"
(The Reginald Hunter Youtube clip I included elsewhere illustrates that point in a comedy sketch).
Actually this isn't even the definition of a white lie; White lies are lies about trivial matters.
It's not about saving the other person but about saving face for the other person. From wikipedia:
"White lies are minor lies which could be considered to be harmless, or even beneficial, in the long term. White lies are also considered to be used for greater good."
The white lie example is more like "No darling your bottom doesn't look fat in that dress"
(The Reginald Hunter Youtube clip I included elsewhere illustrates that point in a comedy sketch).
Actually this isn't even the definition of a white lie; White lies are lies about trivial matters.
It's not about saving the other person but about saving face for the other person. From wikipedia:
"White lies are minor lies which could be considered to be harmless, or even beneficial, in the long term. White lies are also considered to be used for greater good."