White lies are often innocuous. We tell them to create a magical world for our children, or, more often, as a way to be polite and demonstrate social manners. Overall, white lies are for beneficial purposes. Being totally honest in some cases would create unpleasantness or be offensive.

Why are white lies important?

We usually tell white lies to help others, though it may also be for our own benefit. Often, both we and others benefit, for example in the way that white lies help sustain our good relationship. ... The important aspect of such lies is nobody is harmed, so the net harm is always guaranteed to be zero or only ever helpful.

Are white lies healthy?

White lies are actually extremely common in healthy relationships, according to Susan Orenstein, Ph. ... Orenstein defined white lies as “omitting the complete truth to spare someone's feelings.” A white lie is an innocuous lie. In fact, she said, sometimes, a white lie is just being kind.