False Hope

[Big Casino]

I was reading through some of the threads in the FFX section earlier on, and it got me thinking. Do you remember in the Zanarkand ruins when your talking to Yunalesca? Basically she reveals that the final summoning is a lie etc and sin cannot be truly killed by this method, but it was made known to the people that there is a possibility that it could happen, that sin could be eliminated.
Giving the people false hope, giving the people mercy, allowing them to carry on with their lives believing that one day everything could be ok.

Now what do u folks think of the whole concept of ' false hope ' and im not wanting answers relating to final fantasy X that was merely an example.
(Sorry i couldnt get a better one than a video game, but i think that stands as a good example of the question Im trying to convey)

Is the idea justified maybe from a political perspective? Or do we deserve to know the whole truth even though we might not like what we hear?

In my opinion I think you can justify the idea of ' false hope 'to some degree. I believe there are too many people out there who cannot accept the truth and by telling them a lie you're pretty much helping them out.

I wanna hear your thoughts, and maybe if you can, give some examples of false hope in history and whether you believe it was for the good or not.
Im gonna have a look through google and hopefully come up with something interesting.


EDIT - just thought of another example, every 4 years the BBC news gives England false hope in telling the people they could win the world cup...as if.

 

[Daenerys]

I think it's a bit cruel, giving people false hope just means they'll be even more crushed when they find out the truth or whatever.

For example, on the X Factor, when the Judges put through the total no-hopers who really can't sing. It's just mean, and it makes them think that they can sing and could win - so it would be more devastating when they eventually end up getting kicked out.

That was the first example I could think of, but I'm sure others could think of other/better examples xD

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

Although I understand where people come from, I don't believe in 'false hope', politicians are prime for trying to use false hope, but if we don't have hope, whether people see it as false or not...what do we have? Politicians use it to strike fear into us, not because it's unachievable, we can achieve almost anything if we are willing to put the efforts into it, whether or not it has seemed possible before. If people don't believe that they can get somewhere through hope they never will, it's pointless setting out to endure something if you don't have hope, again, whether people see it as false or not.

To me, there is no false hope. Just hope.

 

[Aztec Triogal]

False hope is only truly false if people fail to believe it. If people buy it, it's hope... regardless of the circumstances. In my eyes, hope cannot be practical or rational. It is a matter of faith.

Now whether or not it should be applied is another matter altogether. Should politicians or people of power purposely present their people with "hope" even if there is no possible way it can come to fruition? Yes and no. As much as I would like to stand here and say that it was wrong and scold them for being naughty, the reality of the matter is that it's a delay tactic. If you believe that actual relief is on the way but that the people need home immediately, then false hope can be used. And don't rebuke that by arguing why don't they just tell the truth about the relief that is actually coming... because a lot of time people don't buy practical solutions. Sometimes false hope is the only kind of hope people buy, whether it's because of personal ideologies or plain stupidity.

 

[looneymoon]

From a political perspective, I don't really see how withholding information in order to maintain faith in something false is ethically right. I do understand that it is a political tactic that could come into some use (like the above example), but... in extremity, it seems very 1984 to me.

In order to avoid redundancy, I refer to the above posts in saying that hope is simply an act of faith. It can't very well be rationalized or catagorized. It is what it is.

 

[Aztec Triogal]

That's not it though. Dealing with reality is something in the present tense. Hope is all about the future. And whether you like it or not, if you're in a influential position, it is your job not only to make sure your country has a future but to ensure that your people believe there is a future as well. If you do not, it will affect the present. Some people have a hard time seeing the good in the world, even when it is staring them straight in the eye... so you let them hear what they want to hear in order to make them happy and hopeful. It's not political corruption in government, it's mass ignorance by the public.

 

[Big Casino]

This entire premise of this thread-

„Is it ethical to lie to someone if it saves them from having to deal with reality”

No.

I know exactly where youre coming from but Im not talking about maybe telling your girlfriend you love her just because she said it first and you dont want to hurt her.
Mr aztec summed it up pretty good. Hope is the future, without it what would you do? Looking at it politically is it really that wrong to make people feel a little more at ease, more contempt, by telling a lie? I dont think it is, as long as the backlash isnt goin to be to severe.

How about this as an example, please note that I havent took this from a source its purely fiction. (apoligies again but i havent had time to look for a more suitable example)

A jet plane carrying passengers is caught in a storm and cant land. It only has fuel reserves to keep circling for say another 45 mins, after a while the passengers worry and ask if the plane has enough fuel keep flying like this.
How should they answer??? tell them ' oh fuck no wer gonna be running on air in like another 10 mins ' or lie and say ' yeah we plan for unexpected events like this we are fine '

Would you still be blunt and let them deal with reality then.

 

[Davey Gaga]

This entire premise of this thread-

„Is it ethical to lie to someone if it saves them from having to deal with reality”

No.

I point everyone to "The Prince" by Machiavelli.

It's a very good read, especially in relation to this topic.

We do ask that members post a bit more content in The Sleeping Forest. Something as simle as saying why you've said what you have would suffice quite nicely.

 

[Laro]

If you lie to a person (or give false hope) to save him from finding out you must make another lie about that. You will have to lie for each lie before. Onde day all the lies will keep building up that you won't be able to lie anymore and have to tell him/her the whole truth. The truth will be painful only because you lied.

My own opinion as an example.

 

[Aztec Triogal]

I am not implying that false hope is always a good thing, just that it can be. It's like a bluff in poker. You're playing with cards you do not actually have. It doesn't mean you'll get away with the bluff and everything will work out well but most of the time the risk is worth the reward. It is something you should do if you want to play the game properly.

The only difference between a bluff in poker and false hope is that in poker, you're bluffing to improve your own status. When people give false hope, it is very rare that they benefit from it. It usually attempts to help someone else or the general public. In poker terms, you're "betting your own chips" on a bluff to improve other people's chip-stacks.

 

[Big Casino]

QUOTE I like you LG, you present a good question. To answer it though, it would be wrong to lie to the passengers in regards to the whole situation because knowing they only have a certain time to live, they have time to say final words to their loved ones and pray to whatever God they believe in. Imagine if you're wife/husband/loved one ran out of the house and hopped onto a plane to wherever and you forgot to kiss them goodbye, you'd be sad that you forgot but you'd be even more devastated if they died before you got to say you loved them and so on. QUOTE

I never thought of it like that, that a very good point. Everyone wants to say goodbye and whatever before the end, maybe it is better to tell the whole story rather than a fabrication. Im starting to slightly change my mind in favour of ' an honest approach ' now, but i dont think it would be wrong in a situation like that to let those people have another 10 minutes or so stress free, rather than dealing with the fact they will die.