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Should you tell lie at work? When? How?

truck drivers

Banned
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Jan 18, 2016
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3
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Vietnam
While probity is entirely suitable for some situations, in others telling an unvarnished truth only harm your career indeed. You might think this is just nothing except sophism but we tell lies for many positive reasons like to spare others’ feelings or to lubricate social relationship, because of unspoken rules of behavior, some workplace etiquettes or they only ask you to expect a certain response, which just leads to a lie.
So, what are the questions at the workplace you should never answer honestly?

1. How are you?

It is nothing more than a random sentence. When they ask you, they just need a one-word answer, not your pathetic story about your life. So if you are fine, say so, if you are not, say you are fine. If you are at a very bad mood, say you are OK. People are not very interested anyway. Expressing your real emotion and you will be notorious for being a bore, a moaner or both.

Apply this on your life too. For most of the people who just an acquaintance asking how your weekend or something like that, they only try to be polite and they are not interested in how you end up with a dark circle under your eyes

2. What do you think about your colleague?

Backbite your peers is fraught with pitfalls, even they are good or bad. Think of their positions and performance at your workplace. If they are subordinate, it makes you look mean. If they are at a higher position, it makes you look bitter or enthusiasm. A reply without directly judging anyone sounds good, pick out his or her good points to say. Sometimes you may be asked straightly about their weakness or a bad performance but even here, there is much to be said in an ingenious way. Therefore, you might damn them with faint compliments or leave it blanks for others to fill in. Trying, “Well, you know, he certainly makes the sales...” allows everyone in the room to add or understand without you ever having to say it.

3. What do you think about me as a boss?

If you have a great boss, it’s easy, just be honest. But if he is totally not, I assume he won’t listen to anything you say anyway so the idea of giving them the honest answer will only get their back up. Instead, bring out some good points you can think of but don’t makeup. If in a sensitive situation, the truths should be couched in very careful way, like “Actually I have had something that I concerned about the meetings and was wondering if you had any advice” is much better than “I’m sick of the way you dominate every meeting or your employees and the way you assign the mission”.

To hide those white lies, I can tell you some tricks as follow:

To be not caught in the act of lying, you should be careful in these signs which are reveal your true face.

- Are your face giving it away: you may be able to spot a liar by their red cheeks since anxiety can cause people to blush. Other liar’s expression? Flared nostrils, lip nibbling, deep breathing, and rapid blinking, which hint that the brain is working overtime.

- Watch out for your body language: Liars often shove their hands behind their back because they are afraid of those fidgety digits might give them away.

- The way you smile: A real smile can see in people’s lips and eyes. Otherwise, a fake smile only stops in their lip.

- Which words you are using: In general, people who tell a lie have tendency to use fewer personal pronouns and exclusionary words like “but,” “nor,” “except,” and “whereas”
 

check

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Apr 1, 2012
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800
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in the mail
In an ideal world we should never tell a lie. Unfortunately the world is full of nosy busybodies and government employees just fishing for something that might justify their existence.
When you check out at the grocery store, it seems the clerks are trained to intrude on your personal space with questions like "Do you have any plans for the weekend?". I was flabbergasted the first time I heard that question. The second time I replied "I plan to rape a couple underage girls and rob a liquor store". I need to go back there to find out if that cured the clerk of nosy questions.
Usually they only ask "How is your morning?" I'll have to remember next time to answer "My mother just died yesterday and my house is being forclosed tomorrow". Does it ever occur to these people that someone might be having an awful day and doesn't want to discuss it?
 

movindirt

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Sep 5, 2013
Messages
672
Location
under a shady tree
In an ideal world we should never tell a lie. Unfortunately the world is full of nosy busybodies and government employees just fishing for something that might justify their existence.
When you check out at the grocery store, it seems the clerks are trained to intrude on your personal space with questions like "Do you have any plans for the weekend?". I was flabbergasted the first time I heard that question. The second time I replied "I plan to rape a couple underage girls and rob a liquor store". I need to go back there to find out if that cured the clerk of nosy questions.
Usually they only ask "How is your morning?" I'll have to remember next time to answer "My mother just died yesterday and my house is being forclosed tomorrow". Does it ever occur to these people that someone might be having an awful day and doesn't want to discuss it?

I have a friend who works in retail, they are taught to be polite and ask meaningless questions, I honestly like it better when the clerk is polite and asks how my morning is going rather then one that is in a bad mood. Just my preference.
 

check

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800
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in the mail
I have a friend who works in retail, they are taught to be polite and ask meaningless questions, I honestly like it better when the clerk is polite and asks how my morning is going rather then one that is in a bad mood. Just my preference.
It's not intrusive to smile and say "good morning, sir". Asking personal questions of complete strangers demonstrates a complete lack of manners.
 

Truck Shop

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Dec 7, 2015
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17,106
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WWW.
When someone asks me how it's going or how's your day going. I reply just dandy, then they give me a strange look or say That good huh.
Webster's definition-very good or fine.

I recently passed a policy of no drivers in the shop, too many problems, Mainly thin skin. And a percentage are fire starters. 90% plus were
no problem and caused no problems. But now no drivers are allowed in the shop because of a few gossipers. Children in men's bodies.

Truck Shop
 

Twisted

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Messages
389
Location
MN
Great OP.
I'm from MN so we have this "Minnesota Nice" thing to live up to. I live way up north and far away from the metro area. It is considered polite to ask vague questions and give vague answers while meeting complete strangers. Specific questions aren't appreciated even if it's a friend. I always offer a hand shake and ask an easy "how's it going" while not expecting anything specific. It's simply breaking the ice rather than that awkward silence which does happen.

As far as work. I always say CYA. "Cover Your AZZ". As a peasant all the way to upper management, I learned to only say it if you were sure of the consequences. If it needs to be said then it needs to be said. Deal with your words accordingly.
My $0.02
 

thepumpguysc

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Master Inj.Pump rebuilder
I NEVER LIE AT WORK..
That's why my boss, HATES MY GUTS.. and that's why THE OWNER, comes to me for answers..
probably why I haven't had a raise in 5 years.. Lol
 

Truck Shop

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17,106
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WWW.
I NEVER LIE AT WORK..
That's why my boss, HATES MY GUTS.. and that's why THE OWNER, comes to me for answers..
probably why I haven't had a raise in 5 years.. Lol

That's the only way to be, tell it like it is. You never end up having to cover anything up. I did have a boss ask me to lie once. My reply was- then you
have to let me know when it's ok to lie to you. I got every sh&4$y job that came down the pike from then til I moved on 8 months later.
 

Tarhe Driver

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248
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Savannah, GA
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Comm. Real Est Appraiser-Retired cargo/helo pilot
So if you need a really non-committal subject, on which no one is ever always right and on which no one is ever always wrong, just comment on the weather. In rural areas, it is always a topic of great importance, and in urban areas, usually nobody, except those who are out working in it, cares. Sometimes it's a great conversation starter and other times it's just a fall-flat topic.
 

thepumpguysc

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I'm with you 100% Gradpa..
Young enough not to care.. Old enough not to get hit... Lol
OR vise a versa..
Had a "young buck" just this week.. new guy.. asked me how the hell have you worked here for 25 yrs and NOBODY has kicked your butt??
I just looked him dead in the eye and said.. " you NEVER wanna find out the answer to that question son".. Lol
 

kthompson

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Sep 1, 2009
Messages
127
Location
South Carolina
A very interesting thread. I was told years ago to always tell the truth and don't tell all of it and you will get along better. A lady I had great respect for told me that one night at Church and still find it good.

I think it is very seldom wise or responsible to tell a lie. But there are some occasions such as honey do I look fat does this dress look good on me or such you really need to answer with wisdom and grace.
 

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
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Central New York, USA
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Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Maybe not completely "on topic" but was my response when the top management guy for the state asked a question.

We were having a luncheon type meeting, one of maybe two in twenty years where this guy was in attendance. His office is at another quarry all of maybe 30 miles away so it would not be a major deal for him to drop by once in a while, but that is another story!

Well about six months before this luncheon meeting he had been at our plant for a "safety day walk around" for some reason I forget the subject of no hot water in the shop to wash up with was brought up. He made a big deal about it and said he would see to it that this was taken care of soon. Well this shop has been around since the early 1970's and this was in 2014 so it did not seem to be an important thing up till then.

Well at this luncheon while everyone was sitting there at the tables eating this boss asked "So "Norm" how is that hot water in the shop?" Well as the only Norm that worked in the shop has for the past say 10 years been working at the other quarry all of 100 feet from this guys office I find it hard to think he did not know who Norm was and where he worked. As I was at the time the only mechanic for our quarry and the only person who would have regular use of the sink to wash up I'm sure this question was aimed at me. My response to the question was...........................and after I finished my sandwich I got up and went back to my work in the shop.

For the next few days just about everyone made some comment, all positive, about how I handled the situation. And no, this "boss" never spoke to me about anything after that not even when I retired about 9 months later.

Oh and a few months after that dinner we finally got the 120 volt hot water heater installed on the shop sink. 40+ years and I finally had nice hot water to wash my hands!
 

Planedriver

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Central Michigan
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Farmer
Some lies are just social convention. Q: "Good morning. How are you?" A: "Very well. Thank you.".... Garbage but it's the convention. Sanitizing the truth is concealment and the same as a lie. That being said. Silence is golden.
 

check

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Some lies are just social convention. Q: "Good morning. How are you?" A: "Very well. Thank you.".... Garbage but it's the convention. Sanitizing the truth is concealment and the same as a lie. That being said. Silence is golden.
Sometimes a lie is the best response to a question that should not have been asked. We all need to remember that before we ask one.
 

kshansen

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Sometimes a lie is the best response to a question that should not have been asked. We all need to remember that before we ask one.

Like when my brother was in the military working near DC in one of those buildings with all the antennas on top. If you asked him, "What you doing these days?" His response was, "If I tell you I'll have to shoot you!"

We were visiting him once many years ago and he had just put the steaks on the grill, phone rings, he says excuse me to us and goes in the house and comes out a few minutes later in full dress uniform and says the salad is in the fridge and potatoes are just starting to boil on the stove tell wife I'll let her know when I'll be home. It was a couple days later before he got back.
 

Onsiteworker

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Jan 4, 2017
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Cavite , Philippines
Hi, what was written by @ truck drivers is interesting and very informative. By the way, in my opinion. Telling lies will depend in every situation. I guess, we need to consider every angle. If it will complicate things, one rather not tell the truth but if this will help the the general rule, "to be honest will be the best thing to do". Communication with our workmates can be done in an ethical way too.
 
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