TOEFL Independent Writing
Essay Question: Better a lie than a truth
Example Answer by Jeenn Lee Hsieh
ielts360toefl@hotmail.com 谢振礼
As the saying goes, "Better a lie that heals than a truth that wounds."
#托福独立作文真题:
>Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is impossible to be completely honest with your friends.
Use reasons and specific examples or details to support your opinion.
#谢振礼 Jeenn Lee Hsieh's sample essay No. 13559: Not possible being completely honest with friends.
>SAT Issue Topic:
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.
Excerpt:
It is often the case that revealing the complete truth may bring trouble--discomfort, embarrassment, sadness, or even harm to oneself or to another person. In these circumstances, it is better not to reveal our real thoughts and feelings. Whether or not we should tell the truth, therefore, depends on the circumstances.
Assignment:
Do circumstances determine whether we should tell the truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your poiunt of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken fromn your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
>SAT Issue Essay by Jeenn Lee Hsieh: No. 14550
Given that honesty may be the best policy, people lie to each other anyway, and so much so that even among friends it is impossible being completely honest all the time. In real life, there are moments so prevailing that friends who are mutually open-minded and trust-worthy are compelled to tell white lies. At this point, resorting to white lies or not telling the whole truth is a question of right or wrong rather than a matter of policy.
On the one hand, lying is regarded as wrong because a lie is a lie, no matter what. When lying is believed to be wrong, then even telling a white lie can cause inner discomfort of cognitive dissonance. Like Pinocchio, a liar may need to tell further lies to support and sustain the original white lie. What was once a simple and well-meaning lie can hence turn into a massive cover-up as small lies lead to bigger ones and so on. Further, the lack of truth can easily become a lack of trust and, without sufficient trust, friendship may break down. Based on this view, the naked truth is always better than the best dresed lie, so to speak.
On the other hand, untruths do no harm and a purer form of a white lie is one that is only ever helpful. In fact, it is the right thing in certain circumstances to tell white lies because it helps sustain friendship. What often happens to friends is that those untruths are told in order to minimize damage by avoiding embarrassment, sadness, fear, or distress. Researchers have recently discovered that white lies can be used to "grease the wheels of social discourse." This means that untruths are socially acceptable to such an extent that they become norms. That said, the important aspect of such lies is that it is better not to reveal one's real thoughts and feelings.
To quote Winston Churchill, "It is a fine thing to be honest, but it is also very important to be right." Whether or not friends should tell the truth depends on the situations, taking into accoun a proverb: "Better a lie that heals than a truth that wounds.". Some truths are not meant to be told, and perhaps the only two ways to tell the whole truth are done anonymously and posthumorously. (Essay created by Jeenn Lee Hsiehielts360toefl@hotmail.com )
#谢振礼托福写作十日课程 ielts360toefl@hotmail.com
TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing Task and Independent Writing Task:
A 10-lesson Course
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